Megaton
by HarlequinRavenwing
Summary: When Lone Wolves meet, conflict is inevitable. He's the real power in Megaton, she's the rising power in the Wasteland but they both have enemies and neither of them will walk out of this unscathed. Intimate scenes, bad language and violence from the start. M for a reason.
1. The Deal

THE DEAL

Three hundred caps…three hundred fucking caps!

Who the hell did Colin Moriarty think he was?

It had taken Shelley this long to scrape together enough to be able to live in Megaton without giving him well over half of them.

Fuck that….she'd worked too hard.

When she'd first approached him in the saloon, he'd looked her up and down as if she was nothing more than new meat. Sure, at first he'd been all smiles and charming Irish brogue but Moriarty was all about the currency. Nothing mattered more to him than making a deal and taking the caps. Everything else was just so much shit in the wasteland.

She guessed it was because she looked kind of green standing there in her 101 jumpsuit with nothing more than a baseball bat and a pistol tucked into her belt. Actually she must have looked just like some dumb fucking kid to him, another vaultie wandering the wasteland waiting for some motherfucking raider to come along and end her life real quick.

What really pissed her off though, was that he was right.

The fact that she'd made it as far as Megaton was something of a miracle. The lands between Vault 101 and the ramshackle town were practically crawling with radroaches, feral dogs and all kinds of nasty critters that seemed intent on getting themselves a piece of fresh vault dweller even if it killed them.

She'd learned the hard way.

After hauling her ass into Megaton with more than her fair share of wounds and an alarming level of rads, she'd barely held it together long enough to ask the local sheriff if anyone had seen her father…thank God that at least Lucas Simms was a good man.

He'd been brutally honest with her from the start and though certainly not sympathetic, he'd at least been helpful. After dropping her off at the local clinic to get her wounds treated, he'd hung around long enough to tell her about the town and point her in the direction of Colin Moriarty but not without a warning. He said that the guy was not to be trusted and was as likely to see her dead as to help her. Only the number of caps he'd make out of either option would determine just how _friendly_ he would be…

Great.

And she was supposed to ask this asshole for help…?

The saloon was noisy, busier than Shelley had expected. Half the town seemed to be in Moriarty's the night she walked in. She got more than a few strange looks from most of the patrons, but she couldn't help but notice that the stares of some of the guys lingered a lot longer on her tits and ass than was comfortable. Even the ghoul behind the bar had nervously licked his skinless lips before speaking to her, not that Gob was like that now…actually he was one of the good guys, rotten on the outside but kind on the inside.

The same could not be said for Colin Moriarty.

The man himself emerged from the back room like a hungry lion looking for prey. His skin was a deep shade of bronze and despite his age, was smooth as silk. His hair was bleached bone white and was as long, thick and lustrous as it must have been in his youth. He had a neatly trimmed moustache and beard that framed his dangerously smiling mouth and there was such an unnerving glint in his cool blue eyes that she felt as if he'd seen though to her soul in one swift, appraising glance.

Then he'd spoken. That soft Irish voice of his was like a seductive song and the way he held her attention almost made her fail to notice the look of wary apprehension on Gob's ruined face.

Almost.

Shelley had felt strangely vulnerable when she asked him about James…about her father, almost like she was giving away some deep secret that would cost her dearly. With a smile that wouldn't have looked out of place on the face of a lover, Moriarty had told her that certainly they'd known each other before her dad had entered the vault, and he seemed to have taken a perverse pleasure in seeing her reaction to this news.

Why had her father never mentioned that he'd lived outside 101? Why had he left the vault and come into this godforsaken wasteland? Why had he left her alone to deal with the bullshit consequences?

What the fuck was going on?

There was more of course, but Moriarty was unwilling to spill the beans without a price. One hundred caps, he'd said. One hundred caps and he would tell her what he knew.

At the time she simply didn't have it and as for the little job he wanted her to do instead, there was no way she was about to go chasing after some whore living outside of Springvale! Hell, if she'd gotten the better of Colin Moriarty then good luck to her!

No.

She would simply have to raise the cash some other way…and the sooner, the better.

Diffusing the bomb in the centre of Megaton had been a starting point. Lucas Simms had given her a decent amount of caps and more importantly, a property in the town by way of reward. It wasn't much, but it was somewhere to call home for a while. Then she'd spent a fair bit of time out in the wasteland doing research for Moira Brown, the local store owner. She was writing some book on how to survive out there and needed someone to be a researcher and guinea pig.

It was sometimes stupid and often pretty dangerous work, but it paid the bills.

Shelley found she had a natural talent for sneaking about undetected, and her aim with a rifle was as damn near perfect as it could be. Of course she'd encountered raiders and other wastelanders but any that threatened her soon ended up with a bullet in their brains and their bodies stripped for anything she could use or sell. Sure she'd been squeamish at first, but soon wiping brain matter off a perfectly salvageable helmet became second nature.

So this was life outside the vault…

It had taken a while, but soon she had more than enough caps to pay Colin fucking Moriarty!

He'd been leaning over the railing of the saloon overlooking Megaton when she approached him. His bare arms had flexed as he clasped his hands together and she couldn't help but admire the musculature of the man. He was wearing a black leather vest over a faded white t-shirt and some old combat pants that were tucked into his tough leather boots.

It was at that moment, Shelley realised just how attracted she was to him…

However, when she'd presented him with the caps he requested, he'd just laughed and turned to face her as he lit a cigarette. The price, he informed her, had gone up to three hundred caps…

Fuck that! Three hundred caps! No way!

It wasn't the cost, after all she could afford it now. No, it was something much more serious. It was the knowledge that if she backed down now, he knew he'd always be able to get the better of her and no fucking way was that gonna happen!

Then she noticed he was looking at her quite intently…

She was wearing the armoured vault suit she'd got from Moira for helping out with her book, but it was hot that day and she had it open to her belt. Underneath was a thin white vest, which did nothing to hide the plump fullness of her breasts and the dark peaks of her nipples.

Moriarty's eyes strayed unerringly to them…then he met her gaze.

For a second, she doubted what she saw but the way he'd snapped his head back to the vista of Megaton confirmed her suspicions.

He wanted her…badly.

That's when the idea came to mind. There was something she had, something some men would pay a fortune for, something she could only give away once, something a man like Moriarty might never have experienced with his whores…

Sighing heavily against his neck, she had leaned in close to the charming Irishman and whispered into his ear. She couldn't help but notice he smelled of tobacco, booze, leather and sweat and the thought of what she was proposing added her own feminine musk to the mix of masculine scents.

He accepted at once, his eagerness to answer confirming his own desires and then he disappeared into the saloon without so much as a backward glance.

As she made her way to the Craterside Supply, Shelley didn't know whether she was more terrified or exhilarated…

* * *

The dress was old but still retained most of its deep red colour. Shelley had found it in a suitcase in one of the abandoned houses in nearby Silverdale and thank fuck for impulsive decisions, otherwise she might have left it right where it was. She looked at herself in the broken mirror that she'd bought from Moira and smoothed it over her curves. It was a little too small, tightly hugged her ass and only barely contained her large breasts but for what she had in mind, it was perfect.

She'd left her hair down and combed it through so that it hung between her shoulder blades. It was as black as night just like her father's, and she'd cleaned it as best she could in the basin of water she'd saved, even using a little of the soap she'd traded for with one of the caravan owners. Afterwards, she'd scrubbed her skin to remove almost all of the wasteland grime and realised just how pale she was compared to the other residents of Megaton.

Years in a vault certainly didn't do anything for your colour…

Her eyes seemed like dark pools of murky water against the stark whiteness of her face and her lips were flushed dusky pink with anticipation. She just hoped that Moriarty didn't mind the fact she had no makeup. Nova seemed to have plenty, but then again she was a working whore in the saloon while she was just an ex-vaultie with a crazy idea…

A knock at the door stirred her from her reverie and set her heart hammering in her chest. She had to take a deep calming breath just to stop from shaking so much before she opened it.

"Evening, Shelley." Colin Moriarty walked past her and sat down in the chair near her desk. "So now, from the looks of you I take it you're expecting me?"

"Come in…make yourself at home…" She muttered, closing the door as he passed her and trying not to notice the curious look on the face of Billy Creel as he walked by outside.

"Well…" Moriarty began, placing a bottle on the floor next to him. "So here I am little girl, all alone and just waitin' to see if you're still willin' to hold up your end of the deal. I take it that get-up of yours means…yes?"

"I thought you might appreciate the effort." Shelley replied, moving to stand before him. "It's your present after all…thought you might like a little wrapping."

Moriarty grinned and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Looks pretty sure enough. Now take it off."

His abruptness caught her off guard and she frowned at his callousness, but he simply scowled. "I didn't come here to watch you paradin' around in a fancy fuckin' dress, now take it off…slowly."

Once again he sat back in the chair and reached for the bottle before taking a long swig of whatever booze it contained and watching her like a dog with a mole rat.

Her breath caught in her throat…she knew what he wanted. She could feel his longing from across the room and strangely, as nervous as she was, she realised that she didn't want to disappoint him.

With a sigh, she settled her hands on her hips and began to slide them over the soft red fabric, upwards toward the swell of her breasts. Ever so slowly, she manipulated the small buttons all down the front of her dress then peeled the two halves open to reveal the black lacy underwear she'd purchased from Moira earlier that afternoon.

"Nice…" Moriarty grinned, beckoning her to come closer. "Now you know you didn't have to go to that trouble just for me?"

He slid his hand up her thigh as she approached.

"I mean, a man might get the idea you've done this before." His touch burned like wildfire as his hand rose even higher.

"A man might even get the idea that he was being fucked around by a little vault girl who has promised to deliver somethin' she doesn't even have!"

Shelley flinched as his fingers suddenly began to dig into her muscle.

"I still have it!" She snapped, yanking away from his grasping hand. "For fucks sake Moriarty, you'll find out soon enough! What, you think just because I'm young I don't know what men want? What they like?"

"Oh you do, do you?" He leaned back again and ran his fingers nonchalantly through his hair. "And what is it you think they want? What is it you think I want?"

"I think you want to be here." She whispered, sliding a hand down into the silken triangle of her panties with a confidence she didn't actually feel. "I think you want to be inside my underwear…inside me…"

She closed her eyes as she pushed her fingers through the dark, curling hair covering her sex and in between her nether lips. Knowing he was here watching her made her feel incredibly self-conscious, but it also made her feel strangely aroused and she took her time finding the rhythm of her body, coating her fingers in the silken fluids that pooled at her entrance before rubbing teasingly at her swollen clitoris.

"Maybe you've somethin' of an idea after all." Moriarty murmured as he leaned forward to get a better view of her stimulation. "You learn that yourself or did some little vault prick like to shove his fingers into your cunt whisperin' words o' his undyin' affection as he tossed off all over your titties?"

The hoarseness in his voice that told her he was completely caught up in her little display.

"You think you could do a better job, Moriarty?" Confidence made her feel bolder and she carefully slid a glossy finger from her heated core and pushed it between his parted lips. "Come on…you know you want this."

"Fuck me, little girl…" He gasped as he rolled his tongue around her creamy digit. "You do taste good, but I hope you don't mind if I just…watch for a while."

"Whatever turns you on…old man."

She smiled to herself as she stepped back from him and resumed stroking her sensitized nub. It made her feel strong to know he was enjoying her in this way, made her feel more certain of her actions. God knows her panties were already wet through, and she could feel her fingers slipping into her body as easily as they had during her many nights laid in her comfortable bed inside the vault imagining her first sexual encounter.

Dreaming about being taken by a man as sexually attractive as Colin Moriarty…

Sure, she'd felt the touch of a guy inside her before…hell, she'd even fumbled around with Freddy Gomez in the atrium before one of the security guards had caught them with their hands in each other's pants.

But this…this was different.

This was like the movies she'd seen in the holotapes. The holotapes that Butch had loaned Freddy, saying that they would _loosen her up_ and _turn her on_. She'd watched them with him in his room, secretly aroused by the flickering images as a woman danced before her partner, seducing him and drawing him in just before he took her to orgasm in a slow, deep sexual encounter that left Shelley breathless with desire. Problem was, at the time she just couldn't face doing anything like that with Freddy Gomez.

But now she was here with Moriarty and for some unknown fucking reason, she desperately wanted to experience those things with him…

She closed her eyes again as a moan escaped her lips and she felt a familiar throbbing ache beginning to build between her legs. Her nipples were now as hard as bullets beneath the silken fabric of her bra, and she reached up to pluck and tease at one of them while she fingered her increasingly moistening sex.

This elicited a groan from Moriarty and there was the sound of leather creaking, followed by a belt being undone and the rippling purr of a zipper. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he'd pulled out his semi erect manhood and was stroking hardness into its dusky shaft.

"That's right little girl…" He panted, drawing his foreskin up and down his increasing length. "You just enjoy yourself while I get ready for you. Don't want to disappoint you now, do I?"

His organ was thicker than she'd anticipated and for the first time since this little encounter had begun, she felt a little afraid. It must have shown because next thing she knew he was stalking toward her with a strange look on his face.

"Don't worry so." He said, grasping her hand and placing it around his hardened shaft. "Moriarty will take care of everything. Now you just hold onto this while I take these clothes off…"

His cock felt hot and solid in her hand and she chewed her lip anxiously as she watched him shrug out of his leather vest and shirt. Next, he kicked off his boots and pants with practiced ease before he began thrusting insistently into her hand.

"Hey now, come on little girl…how's about you tug on that while I take my turn with that slick cunt of yours, eh?"

Shelley gasped as he suddenly seized her panties and yanked them from her body before thrusting two fingers into her core. They were calloused and rough and he was none to gentle, but the way he took her made her squirm with nervous delight.

With his free hand, he ripped the bra from her chest and seized hold of one of her ample breasts, before closing his lips over her erect nipple and alternately sucking and flicking his tongue over the sensitive tip.

Pulling rhythmically on his engorged manhood while he did this just seemed like the natural thing to do…

"That's it…" He moaned as she pumped him, returning the favour by sliding his fingers slowly in and out of her, teasing her clitoris with his thumb. "Oh yeah. That's it alright, nice and slow…"

Fucking hell, it felt unbelievably good! Jesus, she couldn't be there already…could she?

"Oh god…oh god, Moriarty…I…I feel…"

Spots began to dance in her vision and her legs shook as orgasm took over her senses. The pulsing muscles of her aching sex seized hold of Moriarty's fingers as her inner walls spasmed, and she felt her cream coating his knuckles as her climax reached its exhausting zenith.

It was all she could do to remain on her feet.

"Well now…" He purred as she slumped against his naked body. "That was sure easy enough. I'm guessin' now that means it's my turn?"

"What…?" Through her euphoric haze, Shelley was dimly aware of him turning her around and pushing her against the cool steel wall of her shack. "Moriarty wait, wait please…I've never done this…"

"So you say." He retorted, reaching around with one hand to squeeze her breast while he positioned the other between her legs and rudely shoved his fingers into her from behind. "Now's the time we find out if this deal o' yours holds up, eh little girl?"

Nerves shook her back to full awareness when she felt the bulbous head of his organ replace his fingers as he pushed against her entrance, and she gasped as he leaned his full body weight against her holding her in place.

Fear gripped her stomach like a vice and she whimpered softly. "Moriarty…please…"

"S'funny…" He breathed into her ear. "Normally I wouldn't pay for cunt but you know, I've never fucked a virgin before! Let's see if this really is worth three hundred caps…"

Pain lanced through her as he thrust powerfully and suddenly into her body, tearing through her hymen as if it were tissue paper. She cried out in shock as she felt herself become rigid, tears spilling down her cheeks as he mercilessly filled her, violating her most intimate area with his intrusive cock. She grimaced as her sex struggled to cope with the sensation, the sharpness of the pain fading to a stabbing ache as he pulsed inside her, and she breathed through it all, trying to take some modicum of pleasure from this new and uncomfortable act.

It hadn't been like this in the holotapes…

Determined to continue, she ground her teeth together and braced herself for the next unpleasant thrust.

But it never came.

"Holy fuckin' Mary mother of God…!" Moriarty had frozen in place, still buried deep inside her. "You weren't fuckin' lying were you? You really haven't done this before. You are…were still a virgin?"

"I…I told you." She rasped, emotion almost robbing her of her voice. "We…we made a deal…"

She was surprised when he gently began to withdraw from her, and then she heard him gasp. "Blood! Jesus Christ, little girl. I'm…oh fuck me…I'm sorry, I…bollocks…"

Finally, he slid completely out and then to her surprise, turned her around to face him and wrapped his arms about her trembling shoulders.

"Oh shit, little girl. I never meant to hurt you." He cradled her against his chest as he spoke and softly stroked her long black hair. "I thought you were just playin' me, to get what you wanted. Fuck, I didn't know you weren't lying. Truth is, I've been in this game way too fuckin' long to know the difference anymore."

He was shook up and she felt him shuddering as he struggled to regain his composure. Holding him close, she buried her head into his shoulder to hide her own torment.

"I…knew it could hurt." She whispered, fighting to stop the unwelcome tears that betrayed her pain. "I just thought if you knew it was the first time, you might…go easy on me I guess."

"_Go easy_ she says…" Moriarty sighed. "Sure'n you're a beautiful girl with a body that makes me as hard as iron! Jesus, if I was more of an asshole I'd still be drillin' you right now, but fuck me if I don't find myself actually givin' a shit!"

She cautiously lifted her head and found herself staring into Moriarty's cool blue eyes. There seemed to be something different in the way he was looking at her now. Something tender…

"Don't be lookin' at me like that." He muttered, interrupting her thoughts as a dark scowl fell across his face. "Seriously, stop it now."

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked, noticing that his dark skin was flushed and sweaty and that his chest was covered with thick hair as white as the hairs on his head.

"C'mon, don't be playin' those games." He seemed suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze and stared at the wall above her head. "You know you're beautiful. Wouldn't have wanted t'fuck you otherwise."

"So beautiful like…like your whore, Nova?" She could feel his cock softening against her stomach as his agitation grew. "I mean, you fuck her too don't you…or do you mean something else?"

"For fuck's sake!" He awkwardly shoved her away and grabbed his pants from the floor. "Of course I fuck her, she owes me! But you…ah, damn it! What do you want me to say, lass? I love you…hardly likely since I don't even know you. I adore you…I'm not one for grand statements o' romance. I want you…'cos I'd have thought that was already blatantly fuckin' obvious!"

"Why don't you tell me you want to stay." The words were out before she'd even realised that's how she felt. "Why don't you tell me you want to stay here tonight, with me…in my bed."

He stopped pulling on his clothes and she could see that he was shivering despite the heat of the night. "Cos I know that in the mornin' _you'll_ be off chasing after that daft bastard of a father o' yours and I know that _I'll_ be in me saloon, waitin' to see you walking back through my doors with that look on your face…"

"What look?"

"The one you're wearing now." He slowly lifted his head and looked her straight in the eyes. "The one that's gonna bring me more trouble than any fuckin' wasteland raider ever could…"

In one swift movement, Moriarty had pulled her toward him and pressed his lips against hers.

He dropped his pants back to the ground and pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring her taste. God knows, _he_ tasted of bad whiskey and cigarettes but right then it was the best fucking thing in the world.

Shelley devoured him hungrily, her hands tangling in the thickness of his hair as he grasped her breasts and squeezed them, catching her sensitive nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. She moaned in genuine pleasure as she pressed against him and was rewarded with the certain knowledge that his member was growing harder with every passing second.

Then unexpectedly, the ache returned between her legs. The ache she thought he'd destroyed with that dumb-ass brutal thrust into her youthful body. The ache that told her she _still_ wanted him inside her just like she'd seen in those holotapes…

With renewed energy, she kissed him even more passionately, almost violently, enjoying the feel of his lips as he explored her mouth and revelling in his hardness as he ground his shaft into her abdomen. Strong hands grabbed her ass and kneaded the soft flesh with a bruising intensity as he rubbed himself against her, leaving trails of pre-cum glistening wetly on her stomach.

She felt dizzy, crazy, like all that mattered in the world was the man before her and the way he was making her feel.

She wanted more…

"Please take me to bed…old man."

He said nothing but simply grinned and lifted her up, and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist as he carried her up the rickety staircase at the back of the room. As he moved, she could feel the muscular build of his body, lean and toned by years of hard living in the wasteland and stripped of all fat, save for the slight belly he carried from drinking too damn much.

Rounding the top of the stairs, Wadsworth was unceremoniously shoved to one side as they barrelled into her small bedroom, the old robo-butler whirring and clicking as he hovered onto the landing with a disgruntled 'Excuse me!'

When her back hit the hard mattress, her breath would have been knocked from her body had not Moriarty already started to drink it from her in a deep and probing kiss that left her gasping for air.

"So…" He purred, standing up and looking hungrily at her naked form. "You sure'n you want to do this?"

She took him in as he towered over her and one thing was for certain, from the way his solid cock jutted out from the thick nest of wiry, white hair over his groin, he certainly did…

"I'm sure." She breathed, shyly spreading her legs wide to reveal the glistening, ready, wetness of her willing hole. "I want you to take me….I want you inside me, old man."

"Well now. Like I always say, I hate to disappoint a customer."

The bed creaked as he climbed on top of her and propped himself up on his hands, but then he paused.

"Just one thing though…" He grinned as a white eyebrow shot up in wry amusement. "Enough of this _old man_ shit okay. Just call me Colin…"

"Colin, huh?" She felt nervous again as he moved his cock to her entrance and smiled weakly. "Then fuck me, Colin. I want you to fuck me…"

"I was hopin' you'd say that…"

Unbelievable pressure was the first thing she noticed as he slowly and gently began to ease inside her. When she stiffened beneath him, he stopped and gave her time to adjust before continuing to push himself deeper and deeper into her pleasantly aching core.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, lass…" He groaned, closing his eyes as he strained not to surge ahead. "You feel so fuckin' tight."

"Please take it easy, Colin…" She begged, willing her body to relax and reaching down between her legs to feel the slick heat at the point of their joining. "I just need a little more time to get used to you…just a little more…"

Her fingers reached for her clitoris as he continued to slide in, and she began to tentatively rub at the swollen nub. Feelings stronger than any she'd ever experienced began to pulse through her body as anxiety and apprehension gave way to stimulating joy and intense sexual pleasure.

"Oh god…" She panted as her inner walls started to loosen around his girth. "Oh Colin…fuck…"

"That's it, lass…" He growled, easing himself in the final few inches so that his heavy scrotum bumped against her buttocks. "That's it. Can you feel me, now. Tell me, I wanna hear you say it. Can you feel me, Shelley?"

"I feel you…" She groaned, twining her legs around his and locking him in place. "Oh God, Colin…I feel you and you feel so good…"

His stiff pubic hairs tickled her sensitive labia and his shaft throbbed just enough to make her smile with exquisite delight. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to open herself as wide as she could just to feel more of him inside her.

It just felt so amazing…he just felt so amazing!

"I've never done this with anyone before, Colin." She stared up into his eyes and felt herself drowning in those deceptively icy pools of desire. "I want to know what it's like, you know…for a man to come…"

"Just as well." He murmured, sliding his cock backward as he spoke. "I don't think I can help meself anyway…"

"You'll come inside me?" She moaned as he teased her with his tip. "Please tell me you'll come inside me. I want to feel it…I want to feel all of it. Please Colin, please…I'm begging you…"

"Then god help you lass, 'cos by the time I'm finished with you, you're gonna be beggin' for me to stop!"

His face took on a curious expression as he tried a gentle thrust inside her. She still cried out at the suddenness of it, but unlike last time she felt ready, she felt so right and she felt…so good. The way he slipped easily in and out of her, with his silky shaft coated in her arousal and his muscles tensing was so much better than she could ever have imagined.

The next thrust was not quite so gentle.

This time, there was a forceful need behind his stroke and he snarled as he repeated the action, penetrating her more deeply and throwing his body weight behind the motion, spearing her with his length and filling her in ways she never knew existed.

"Yes Colin…" She panted, feeling her own excitement increasing as his thrusts became harder and faster. "Yes…I want this! I want you!"

Enraptured, she began to call his name as he plunged into her over and over again, his animalistic grunts urging her to buck against him, encouraging him to stab into her with even greater force.

It was feral, it was dirty and it was magnificent. It was raw, passionate sex with a man twice her age…it was sex with Colin Moriarty.

Breaking rhythm, he lifted one of her legs over his shoulder and began to flick his thumb over her sensitive clitoris. She cried his name even more loudly as he fucked and thumbed her, each action sending electric currents of pleasure shooting through her whole body, pushing her emotions over the edge of feeling and into something much more intense and as crazy as the situation.

Her head began to feel light and her sex was starting to throb in time with his dizzying penetration when she realised that she was crossing the border of sensation into orgasm and _he_ was the reason…

"Colin…!" She gasped, ecstasy almost robbing her of her voice. "Oh god, Colin…it's happening…!"

"Just…let…go…darlin'…" He growled through gritted teeth and then she felt it...

His cock was growing harder, if that was even fucking possible and it seemed that it was swelling within her. He filled her completely, almost painfully now and the way he was moving told her that he was close too...

Suddenly and with a desperate cry, Moriarty threw back his head and stabbed down hard as he climaxed, causing her slickened hole to overflow with his hot, salty seed. For him, each surge was a wave of jetting pleasure, each spurt lessening his girth and easing his passage into the writhing body of the girl beneath him…

Not that she was paying much attention.

Shelley was moaning in ecstasy as the walls of her sex began to pulse and contract wildly, practically milking Moriarty from the inside as her own climax reached its blinding crescendo. She bucked violently as a rush of orgasmic energy thundered through her body and she found an outlet in the calling of his name as her sex spasmed around his cock and sapped what was left of her strength and her will. Only gradually, did she realise she'd been clinging onto him so tightly that she'd left bloody rents across his back.

Slowly, the world seemed to slide back into focus as the energy dissipated and she finally relaxed upon the sodden mattress with Moriarty collapsing on top of her, his sweat soaked body shuddering as if the effort had exhausted him beyond the point of recovery.

For a while neither of them said anything, and she found a strange contentment in listening to the sound of his breathing as he buried his face into her hair and nuzzled her neck.

Eventually, he summoned enough energy to move and rolled awkwardly to one side. dragging her with him and holding her against his chest as he stared up at the corrugated roof of her bedroom.

"You realise…" He said after a while. "That the whole fuckin' town will probably have heard that."

"I'm sorry." She sighed, lazily running her finger around his nipple as she struggled to prop her head up on her hand. "It's never happened before and I didn't know I'd be so…noisy."

"Don't be sorry for that, lass. Those other bastards are probably just wishin' they were so lucky!" Moriarty met her gaze and laughed. "Besides…I guess it's one way of lettin' them know you're mine now."

"Is that so?" She frowned slightly and raised a quizzical brow. "And how do you figure?"

"Well, for starters no one will ever fuck you like I do." He answered, with more than a hint of arrogance. "Secondly…well, I want you, lass. Not just for the sex, though y'are fuckin' amazin'. I mean I want you."

He seemed to lose his confidence and wiped his hand over his face while he composed his thoughts.

"Damn it. Listen, when I say I want you…I mean, I don't want anyone else to have you." He reached out and smoothed the hair away from her face in a strangely intimate gesture. "It'll just be you and me, no one else. Do you understand?"

"And what about Nova?" Unexpected jealousy made her balk slightly at the idea of him going back to the saloon and being around the pretty whore twenty-four seven.

"Nova's working off her debt." He replied with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Me fuckin' her is like shittin' on my own doorstep. I don't get any richer from it that's for sure. No, as long as she makes her caps from the customers and pays me what she owes. I don't need to be interferin' with that."

"So what you're saying is…" She felt her heart beginning to pound in her chest and felt a rush of colour rising in her pale cheeks. "You're saying you want to be with me?"

"You asked me what I wanted to say earlier." Moriarty replied, reaching for a nearby bottle of water. "Well, I'm sayin' it now."

"And what about our deal?" The thought that he wanted more from her than a quick fuck now and then was something she hadn't planned on, and the very idea of it was as exhilarating as it was unsettling. "Look, I said I'd trade you my virginity for your information, I wasn't expecting to make any other kind of commitment. I mean, you saw my father…you know where he went. Are you even going to tell me what you know?"

Moriarty looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Sure I'll tell you, if that's all you want. The man said he was headed for Gal…"

"Shhh." She surprised herself by placing a finger on his lips and laying back down onto his chest. "Leave it for tonight. You can tell me in the morning."

"Oh?" There was a trace of amusement in his tone. "And what makes you think the deal will still stand in the mornin'?"

"Well, I leave that up to you." She drew her tattered blanket over them both and closed her eyes. "Besides even when I do find my father, you know I'm coming back to you."

"See that you do…little girl."

"You can count on it…old man."

* * *

_**The Deal was originally intended as a one-shot, but I was intrigued to see where Shelley and Moriarty could go from here and got some serious inspiration from the song 'Call me when you're sober' by Evanescence.**_

_**I'm thinking it won't be a smooth ride from here on…**_

_**Gixx.**_


	2. The Return

THE RETURN

"_People of the Capital Wasteland you can hear me, Yee-Ha! You can't stop the signal, baby! That's right, from Megaton to Girdershade, Paradise Falls to the Republic of Dave, we are coming to you loud and proud in a special live report!"_

"Hey Boss, did ya hear this? Three Dog is back on the air!" Gob's lipless mouth broke into a broad smile as he turned up the radio.

_But Three Dog, you're in that cool radio studio in D.C. How do you know I can hear you all the way out here in the ass end of nowhere? Because of the kid from Vault 101, that's how!"_

Colin Moriarty felt his chest tightening as lifted a glass of liquor to his lips. Shelley had been gone for nearly two weeks now…guess she'd made it there after all.

"_That gal actually managed to repair our antenna relay! How's that for ingenuity folks? From here on in it's bye-bye stupid static…hello magnificent music! So sit back, relax, and absorb these classic tunes! Kid, you get your ass back to GNR…you hear me? We've got some stuff to talk about!"_

"The GNR station is all cleared up and Three Dog's still talking about the vaultie! Can you believe it?" Gob's mounting enthusiasm was starting to grate on Moriarty's nerves…

"Well, who'd have thought?" Nova's velvet voice purred as she pulled up a bar stool to listen. "At least we know the kid made it to Galaxy Radio. Wonder where she is now?"

Moriarty snorted, irritated to see his hand was trembling as he refilled his empty glass. "Wherever she is, that dumb bastard is lookin' to get her killed broadcasting that kind of information out across the wasteland. Either that or he's got someone waitin' at the station with a loaded gun and a bunch o' caps."

"Jesus…" Nova sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Do you have to be so goddamn cynical, Colin? Some of us actually care what happens to Shelley and it's kinda nice to think that she's okay…"

"I prefer to think of meself as realistic." He set down the glass and rubbed at the tension creeping into the back of his neck. "You put too much faith in that asshole DJ. For all we know, she could already be dead."

"That's if she's lucky." The sound of Jericho's gravelly voice, albeit somewhat heavily accented with an alcoholic slur, cut into the conversation. "More likely she got herself caught by bunch of raiders. Believe me, I know what they'll do with a sweet piece of vaultie ass like her!"

"Hey man, come on! There's no need for that." Billy Creel scowled and shook his head. "I've seen the way she handles a gun and she's no easy target, believe me. Shelley can handle herself."

"What's it to you?" Jericho retorted, sneering at the younger man and swaying unsteadily on his feet. "You her fucking guardian or something? Or are ya hoping to worm yer way into her pussy too…though I'd have thought she was a little too old for you. From what I see, you like 'em real young, doncha boy?"

"What are you…?" Billy's face had turned scarlet as he leapt to his feet, knocking over a table and causing the other patrons to look up sharply. "Oh my God, Jericho you sick fuck! If you're talking about Maggie…"

Moriarty groaned inwardly. It was goin' to be one o' those nights…

Jericho laughed drunkenly and slammed down some caps, gesturing for another beer. "What is it they say...old enough to bleed, old enough to breed? Something like that, right? Anyways, I thought you'd moved on to Jenny Stahl. Now that _is_ some sweet pussy, right there. Tits and ass in the right place and everything. Hell, I could fuck her 'til she bleeds…"

"You dirty sonofabitch!"

Billy suddenly launched himself across the bar and threw a well-aimed punch at the ex raider. If it had been anyone else, they would have been dropped to the ground instantly but Jericho was tougher than a mirelurk with a hard on…even when he was drunk. The guy just seemed to shrug off the blow even as he reached for a nearby bottle and smashed it across the back of the younger man's head.

Now the shit was really hittin' the fan…

With a roll of his eyes, Moriarty quickly manoeuvred himself behind the men as they both crashed to the floor in a shower of fists and blood. Jericho had immediately gained the upper hand, straddling Billy beneath him and driving his armoured fist into his ribcage while he raised the broken bottle into the air.

"You motherfucking cocksucker!" Jericho growled, blood and spittle flying from his lips. "I'm gonna rip out yer other eye and shove it so far up yer fucking ass you'll be able to see your guts!"

"Not in my saloon, you're not!" Moriarty aimed a solid boot at Jericho's wrist, kicking the bottle from his grasp and then grabbed him in a bear hug. "Jericho…just listen to me! Calm down for fuck's sake!"

The former raider was certainly not your average drunk who'd had one too many and Moriarty grunted with the effort as he dragged the older man off the cowering Billy Creel. Jericho twisted wildly, his arms and legs flailing as he was slammed against the saloon wall causing the entire place to echo with the sound of creaking steel and timber.

"Little prick has it coming!" Jericho continued to rage at the boy as he thrashed about in Moriarty's grasp. "Who the fuck does he think he is? Fucking child molesting motherfucker thinks he can take me!"

"Fuck you, Jericho!" Billy was struggling to sit up with assistance from Nova and he seeming to have regained some of his former bravado. "You're nothing but a dirty bastard, you know that! I should kick your ass!"

His outburst just added fuel to the inferno that was burning up inside Jericho and Moriarty grimaced as he found himself almost unable to hold him back.

Fuck this…enough was enough.

"Nova, Gob…" Moriarty snarled, gesturing to Billy as he grappled with Jericho. "Get _him_ outta here! I don't need this shit tonight!"

"But Colin, he's hurt…bleeding…" Nova's face was creased with concern and she held up her blood stained hands as if to prove her point.

"And do I look like a fuckin' doctor to you?" Jesus…for a cheap whore the woman was far too fucking soft for her own good. "Just get that stupid arsehole outta my bar! You, Gob…help her! Get him out, now!"

"Sure thing, boss!" The ghoul obediently leapt over the bar and shoved his hands under Billy's armpits, yanking him to his feet. "Come on Billy…Mr Moriarty says it's time for you to leave!"

"What! You're shitting me, right?" Billy looked incredulous as he was shoved toward the door and made as if to try and break free. "That crazy motherfucker just tried to kill me!"

"Keep pissin' me off, boy and I might be joinin' him." Moriarty growled dangerously. "Now, run along and get the fuck out before I decide to let go o' my friend here…"

"Out we go!" Gob kicked the door open with his foot and hurriedly shoved Billy outside. "Take some time, cool off and uh…you better get that head wound checked out too. Looks nasty."

"Gob, if you're done fuckin' socialisin', there's blood all over me clean floor…ughn!" Moriarty wheezed in pain as Jericho slammed an elbow into his ribs and jerked free. "Jesus, Jericho…what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Fuck that sanctimonious asshole!" Jericho snarled, lunging for the door. "I'm gonna end him right now!"

"You do and Simms'll be throwin' your arse out 'o Megaton a second later." Moriarty rasped, clutching his side. "And I'll be helpin' him."

The ex raider actually froze at that…thank god.

"What! You're siding with Creel? You can't even stand the little prick!" Jericho's face had gone an even uglier shade of red as he slowly turned to face him. "I don't fucking believe it!"

"I'm not sidin' with anyone." Moriarty countered, his hand straying closer to the 10mm pistol he habitually carried on his belt...just in case. "I just know better than to get my sorry arse thrown out o' this town over a piece o' shit like Billy Creel."

"You're not serious!" Jericho's expression was one of outraged shock but he stayed right where he was. "I can't let him speak to me like that and walk away…"

"Yes you can and you will."

Moriarty broke out into a broad grin as he reached for the pack of cigarettes tucked under his sleeve and pulled out two of them.

"You'll let him walk because if you don't the trouble will be traced back to here, to my saloon and I'll have Lucas Simms pokin' round and askin' questions." He pulled out a match and lit them both before passing one to the ex raider. "And if he should be askin' questions, I might be feelin' obliged to answer them…if you take my meanin'. Better for you if you leave well alone."

Jericho glared at him and for a moment, there was only cold hate and pure murder in his eyes. It seemed like an eternity passed before he reluctantly took the cigarette and inhaled deeply before strolling almost casually back over to the bar.

"You're not afraid of Simms and you're certainly not doing this for me." He muttered as he eased himself onto one of the high stools.

"Hell, no!" Moriarty answered with a chuckle as he nodded for Gob to give the man a beer. "I simply like things to run smoothly in me bar…see I'm just a businessman lookin' out for me reputation."

"Just a businessman…oh, really?" Jericho snorted loudly as he pressed the cold brew to his lips.

"Really." Moriarty's face became deadly serious as he leaned in close enough to smell the other man's breath. "And anyone fuckin' with either the saloon or meself may well find themselves needin' more than just a stimpak to heal their wounds."

He didn't wait for a reply and strode confidently toward the saloon door before turning back to see Nova emerging from the rest room cleaning the last of Billy's blood from her hands.

"Nova, if the man here is feelin' the need for company so badly, give him one on the house." There was the briefest look of alarm on the redhead's pretty face and as he added as an afterthought… "Just make sure you leave her as you found her, eh Jericho?"

Moriarty grinned again as he noticed a look of unbridled lust descend over Jericho's face and he winked at the man.

Jesus, but some people were easy to please and God knows Nova would know just what to do to get him off. The girl was a true pro after all, and Moriarty had sampled her wares often enough to be able judge.

The way she used those lips o' hers was like manna from heaven and just thinkin' about it usually made him hard…but not lately.

Not since he'd been with _her, _with the vaultie.

With Shelley…

He opened the saloon door and stepped out onto the balcony, letting the darkness hide the unsettled expression on his face. Damn it to hell, but she'd gotten right under his skin and it wasn't like him…it wasn't like him at all.

That night when she'd been squirmin' on his cock, screaming his name like it was the only word she knew was like something out of his wildest dreams. Not only was he the first man to ever get inside her tight little pussy, but hearing her crying out for him like that, knowing that she _really_ wanted him was beyond anything he'd ever experienced with the countless faceless whores who'd serviced him in the past.

However, the real danger had come from spending the night in her bed. The very bed they'd almost broken due to urgency of their passion. The very bed they'd soaked through with hot sweat and other more pleasant bodily fluids.

The very bed in which she'd nestled against him, her naked body pressing against his and her arm thrown ever so casually across his chest as she slumbered, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that she'd caused deep inside his mind.

Fucking her had been a definite pleasure, but caring about her…well, that was something unexpected.

"Fuck…" He breathed, flicking away his spent cigarette butt and instantly reaching for another. "What the hell is wrong with you, old man…"

Moriarty smiled despite his darkening mood. Old man…that's what _she'd_ called him.

Jesus, the girl wasn't more than nineteen, practically a child compared to him and he _was_ an old man, supposedly smart enough to know better. In fifty years of life in the wasteland, he'd never been stupid enough to get caught up in anything that could cost him more than he was willing to pay and yet here he was, thinking about her with those cool grey eyes, soft ivory skin and hair like black silk.

Just what was it gonna cost him for wanting to see her look at him again the way she did that night…?

Sure'n he had a feelin' it was going to be way too much…

A deep inhalation of bitter smoke preceded a long calming exhalation as Moriarty leaned out over the railing and stared out over Megaton.

Down below, he could see that arsehole Creel making his way to the clinic. Ah, the good Doctor would surely patch him up without asking too many questions, Church was used to that. Just why the dumb fuck would choose to pick a fight with a man like Jericho anyway, was beyond him. The old bastard had one helluva mouth on him and no amount of do-gooder bullshit would ever change that.

Still…the thought of some filthy wasteland piece o' shit just like Jericho getting' his hands on Shelley was enough to make him feel sick.

Oh, for fuck's sake…now why did he have to go and think of that…?

He was grateful for the interruption when the solid plate steel gates of Megaton began to roll back he looked up sharply, his hand going instinctively to his pistol.

A dog ran in at once, big one by the look of it, and scented the air before turning and waiting for its master.

Just what Megaton needed, another mouth to feed that couldn't pay for beer. Maybe the owner would be a big spender…

Moriarty felt his throat tighten as 'said owner' limped into the town. Even at this distance under the weak electric lights, he could make out her silhouette. Broad hips, full breasts and legs as long as you please, not to mention there was no mistaking the fact that she looked straight up in his direction.

She'd come back, just like she said she would.

Shelley had returned from the wasteland.

* * *

It was good to be home…wait a second…when the hell had she started to think of this place as home?

Shelley laughed softly to herself and shook her head, amused by her own thoughts as she looked around Megaton. This was certainly something she'd never anticipated, coming to feel as much a part of the town as Moira's store or Confessor Cromwell's bomb, but right now she could've dropped to her knees and kissed the ground. After two weeks spent out there, Megaton was like paradise and she was Eve, strolling through the garden.

Her eyes immediately scanned the upper levels and settled on the brawny figure leaning over the balcony in front of Moriarty's saloon.

Oh yeah…there was the snake, alright.

Ever since the day she'd left, she'd found it hard not to think about _him_. In the space of one night, she'd gone from being an inexperienced vault girl with a dirty little fantasy about the saloonkeeper to a woman who had known exactly what it was like to be taken to the heights of ecstasy by a man as dangerous and unpredictable as Colin Moriarty.

He was just so fucking sexy in a rugged, alpha male kind of way and when he bothered to run a comb through that unkempt white hair of his, he was fairly easy on the eyes too. Surrendering her virginity to the guy hadn't exactly been a chore, even if he was a little brutal to start with and the way he'd made her feel when he threw her on the bed and made love to her like his life depended on it was something that had made her almost die with pleasure …

And God knows, she wanted that feeling again…

The morning after, she had woken to find him dozing with his arm around her shoulders and an unusually relaxed look on his face. She was so used to seeing him wearing a perpetual expression of cynicism that it had made her smile to see him looking so different. The second thing she realised was that his cock was as hard as steel and she wondered just what the old man was dreaming about…

When his ice blue eyes finally did flicker open, he grinned and explained it away as 'morning glory' before kissing her awkwardly on the forehead and stumbling into the bathroom. When he emerged, he'd gone straight downstairs for his cigarettes and whiskey before coming back to her.

It was hardly romantic, but she figured it was who he was.

He was still naked when he'd perched on the end of her bed, took a long pull from the bottle and told her rather matter-of-factly that her father had been headed toward the Galaxy News Radio station and it might be worth her while to speak to Three Dog, the resident DJ. Colin had studiously avoided her gaze while he spoke, choosing instead to focus on the long plume of cigarette smoke that coiled up to the ceiling and even his voice seemed to have lost its usual Irish charm.

What the fuck…? Was this payment for services rendered…?

His detachment had hurt, especially since he'd seemed pretty serious about her being with him and him alone last night, and she'd climbed out of bed feeling like a stupid kid again.

But then she'd seen the look on his face. The coolness in his voice suggested he was merely giving her the information she'd earned, but his expression however had told her that there was a lot more to it than that.

Or maybe she was kidding herself…

She'd opted to take a bath before she left. She knew it would be the last she got for a while and had asked Colin to join her, but he'd grinned regretfully saying he had to get back to the saloon before Gob started getting ideas above his station. Then he'd surprised her by pulling her close and holding on so tightly that he threatened to crush the very life out of her. Once he released her, he'd strode down the stairs, dressed hurriedly and disappeared out of the door without so much as a backward glance.

Okay…whatever.

Actually, after he'd left it had been a little easier to focus on the task before her. As she'd soaked her aching muscles in the tub, and gently cleaned her somewhat tender nether regions, she'd activated her pip boy. The map display showed that the GNR building was somewhere in the Metropolitan ruins and her heart sank.

It was going to be one tough fucking trip.

Tough…that was an understatement.

The whole damn thing had been a nightmare of wasteland scum, feral ghouls, Super mutants and even a motherfucking Behemoth that looked at her like she was just some radroach to be squashed underfoot. With some help from the Capital Wasteland faction of the Brotherhood of Steel and a dog she seemed to have _acquired_ along the way, Shelley had finally made it to the GNR building plaza.

In truth, she was glad for the company of the dog. She'd picked him up in an abandoned scrap yard when she was foraging for food. He'd obviously been attacked judging by the wounds on his flanks and at first she'd thought he was dead…just another source of Dogmeat. Turned out, he was very much alive and one tough sonofabitch! She hadn't the heart to end him and instead had pumped him full of stims and meds.

After she'd seen him bringing down the first raider foolish enough to try and sneak up on her, she'd been glad she did it and _Dogmeat_ had been with her ever since.

Once she entered the GNR building, meeting the legend that was Three Dog was a really big deal…or so he told her anyway.

The guy had more self-confidence than common sense and seemed genuinely interested in helping her, but just like everything else out here there was a price to pay. Seemed he needed some satellite booster dish fixing to the top of the Washington Monument in order to broadcast his signal out across the whole wasteland...helping other folks to _fight the good fight_ and all that shit.

There was just the small matter of finding her way safely through the ghouls, muties and raiders in the nearby ruined metro station and then making her way into the Museum of Technology, taking the goddamn dish back from even more Super mutants and then battling her way to the Monument and rigging up the fucking thing…

Yeah. Right. No problem.

Asshole…

Never…never had she been so fucking scared in her whole life.

It wasn't bad enough that she was crawling around in the dark, it wasn't the fact that suddenly everything in the area with a pulse seemed to want to kill her. It wasn't even the fact that she felt under armoured, outgunned and completely isolated from everything and everyone she'd ever known.

It was the fact that her dad _had_ been there and if she died now, he'd never even know she'd been looking for him…

At least there had been more Brotherhood at the Monument's gates. When she'd come streaking across the Mall grounds with Dogmeat following hot on her tail, they had opened fire on the pursuing Super mutants giving her time to get inside and to finally to get that fucking dish into position.

When she eventually made it back to Three Dog, he'd been overjoyed and told her that her father had travelled on to Rivet City, a floating rust bucket near the Jefferson Memorial.

Frankly, she was in no fit state to be setting out on another fucking journey into the unknown and after a lengthy discussion, the Brotherhood agreed to send a couple of knights to safely escort her back to Megaton.

She needed to get some rest, needed to be in familiar territory, needed to see a friendly face…

…preferably one with an arrogant smile and wicked glint in his Irish eyes.

Right now, he was in his usual place looking down on Megaton and undoubtedly everyone in it. It was all she could do not to run across the ground, up the rickety gantry and hopefully into his waiting arms.

Not that she would give Colin Moriarty the pleasure of seeing her do that like some lovesick child. No. If he wanted her, he'd have to come down and get her. She'd done enough running around after men lately…

"Shelley…?"

The voice came from just ahead and Dogmeat at once placed himself between his mistress and the unknown male staggering toward her.

"Easy boy." She said softly, reassuring the protective mutt by stroking behind his ears. "We're among friends here…oh shit! Billy! Is that you?"

Dropping her pack and arms to the ground, she lurched forward and caught Billy Creel as he almost slumped to the ground. Alarm bells sounded in her mind as she felt warm sticky wetness coating her hand. He was hurt…head wound by the look of it.

"Jesus, Billy…" She gasped as she helped him across the ramp leading up to the clinic. "What happened to you?"

"Fucking Jericho…" He groaned as she lowered him onto the cold steel. "Motherfucker…hit me with a…a…bottle…"

Even in the dim light, she could see his colour wasn't good. His skin felt clammy and he was starting to slur a little. He needed help. Now.

"Just stay awake, okay?" She ordered, concerned that his one good eye seemed to be closing. "I'm gonna get the Doc. You just stay awake, you hear me!"

The rising note of panic in her voice seemed to jar him and he nodded feebly as she began pounding on the door of the clinic.

"Doc! Doctor Church!" She yelled, her armoured fists slamming into the metal surface. "Doc…it's an emergency! I need you! Billy needs you!"

Dogmeat added his own frantic barking to the noise and it wasn't long before the door swung open to reveal the town's doctor wearing nothing but his boxers and a scowl.

"It's the middle of the night! What the fuck is all the noise about!" Church's tone was angry but as soon as his eyes fell on the ashen face of Billy Creel, he waved urgently at Shelley. "Well don't just stand there, girl! Help me get him inside!"

Church eased his hands beneath Billy's arms and quickly, but gently began to lift him.

Shelley hesitated, her eyes drawn once more to the solitary figure outside Moriarty's saloon.

God damn, but she desperately wanted to see him…

"Dammit Shelley! I can't do this by myself!"

Between Church's insistence and her natural concern for Billy's condition, all longing to be with the belligerent Irishmen faded to a dull ache inside her body. She grabbed Billy's legs and helped the Doc to carry him into the clinic, her own wound throbbing painfully as she limped up the ramp.

"You hurt too?" Church frowned as he noticed her discomfort and nodded toward Billy. "Anything to do with this?"

"No." She answered, as they lifted him onto the gurney that served as the clinic's only bed. "I only just got back and found him outside, on his way here to see you I guess…"

"Then stick around, kid." Doc Church sighed as he settled an almost unconscious Creel and then rustled around in a nearby aid-box. "Once I'm done with him, we'll have a look at that leg and oh, the dog stays outside if you don't mind!"

"I'm fine, really." Shelley countered, but Church was either ignoring her or simply too absorbed in looking after Billy that he wasn't even listening anymore.

"I remember you saying you got medical experience, right?" Church finally said after administering a coagulating agent and a local anaesthetic. "Keep him awake and hold him still. If he looks like drifting off, jab him with this."

He passed her a stimpak as he leaned toward Billy with a wickedly curved needle in his hand. "I gotta stitch this motherfucking mess…"

Shelley nodded as she grabbed a chair, pulled it up alongside the gurney and gently placed her hands either side of Billy's head. Church had removed his bandanna and eye patch and for the first time she was able to study the young man's features in detail.

He was definitely handsome, with a long straight nose and bone structure that would even make a pretty girl envious. His hair was cut short and a rich shade of brown that complimented the soft hazel of his eyes…well, eye.

Shelley had never seen him without his patch before and seeing the ruined empty socket was something of a shock. Sure, she'd seen worse injuries in the wasteland but she was just so used to seeing Billy with that square of felt over his eye that he just looked _so_ _damn_ different without it.

"Billy..." She murmured softly, stoking his cheek. "Billy, you awake honey?"

"Hey Girl…How are you doing?" His gaze slowly focused on her face and he offered her a pained, if sincere smile. "I thought that was you out front."

"Well, you certainly know how to grab a lady's attention." Shelley chuckled as she leaned in close. "But I tell you, flowers and poetry are a much better pick up than blood and bandages."

"Oh shit…am I hurt bad?"

Billy winced as he tried to move, eliciting an angry snarl from the Doc.

"Take it easy, honey." Shelley sighed as she flashed an apologetic look at Doc Church. "The Doc's just fixing you up and he really needs you to keep still."

"I also need to know if he's got the caps for this." Church muttered, raising his eyebrow. "I don't work for free."

"Caps…" Billy groaned, agitation making him shift uncomfortably. "But the caravans aren't due in for a week."

"I got this." Shelley answered, pressing down gently on his shoulders. "I've got the caps, just keep on sewing."

"I can't let you do that, dolly. I can look after myself…"

"Yeah, so I see." She frowned and stared at the Doctor as he finished up. "You gonna be much longer?"

"Actually, I'm done." Church set down his needle and stood back from his patient working out an ache in his back. "He's gotta stay here tonight though, for observation. Head wounds…always tricky. Gonna be expensive…"

"Just bill me when you're done." Shelley muttered, returning her gaze to Billy Creel.

"Fuck no…" He protested, trying to sit up. "I can't let you do that and I can't stay here. Look, I gotta look after Maggie."

"You'll not go anywhere if you know what's good for you!" Church exclaimed. "You can't look after her if you're unconscious, bleeding out all over the goddamn floor!"

"But…"

"Billy, just shut the fuck up." Shelley grinned as she gently pushed Billy back onto the gurney. "I'll go look after Maggie, you just stay here and let the Doc do his job or I'll give you more than fucking cut on the head to worry about!"

"That a promise?" Billy laughed then grimaced as a wave of nausea drained the colour from his face. "Oh man, you're gonna have to wait until I'm better though…"

"Just gimme your key already!"

Shelley smiled as he handed it over and moved toward the door.

"Just where the fuck are you going?" Doc Church barred her way and pointed at her leg. "You need to get that looked at."

"It's just a bullet wound. It can wait." She answered, nodding toward Billy. "I gotta go check on his kid anyway."

"Limping all the way, huh." Church shook his head. "Sit your ass down, girl. I promise this won't take long…it'll hurt like hell but it won't take long."

"Your bedside manner sucks, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

Doc Church certainly had a past and was just another citizen of Megaton with million dirty secrets, but the one thing about him was when it came to medicine, he always told the truth.

She was out in less than ten minutes.

And yeah, it really did hurt like hell.


	3. The Morning After

THE MORNING AFTER

'_Got some great news out of the town of Megaton! Turns out that live atomic bomb in the town's centre has finally been deep-sixed for good. The town's sheriff, one Lucas Simms, commissioned the one…the only…Lone Wanderer from Vault 101 to disarm the nasty nuke and the kid delivered! Hey, nice work 101! Next time you're in the neighbourhood, pop into the studio! Ol' Three Dog's toaster's been on the fritz...'_

"Hey Shelley!" Maggie Creel exclaimed, the juices from her iguana bits trickling down her chin. "Three Dog's talking about you again! I think he likes you! I bet he wants to be your _boyfriend_…"

"Oh yeah!" Shelley grinned as she nudged the little girl in the ribs, eliciting a high-pitched giggle that even made Dogmeat wince. "Well I bet that Harden Simms wants to be _your_ boyfriend! I've seen the two of you sneaking around town together."

"Maybe…" Maggie agreed, a mischievous look spreading over her face. "But it's kind of a secret."

"Oh I see." Shelley nodded conspiratorially as she waved to Jenny Stahl to bring over a couple of nuka-cola's. "I'll remember to keep it quiet then."

"Here you go." Jenny smiled warmly as she set the bottles down and leaned on the counter. "Say Maggie, I'm not used to seeing you in the Brass Lantern this early? Doesn't Billy usually fix you breakfast at home?"

"Billy's sick." Maggie answered, her small face falling as she pushed another piece of meat around her bowl. "Shelley said he had to go to the clinic last night, but he'll be back real soon…isn't that right Shelley?"

"That's right honey." Shelley ruffled the kid's hair as she cast a glance over her shoulder towards Church's clinic. "He'll be home soon. I promise"

"What happened to him?" Jenny's voice held more than a little concern. "Rad poisoning from the bomb or something?"

"I don't know really." Shelley answered, flicking her eyes towards Maggie. "Let's just say I need to have a little talk with Jericho..."

Jenny reacted like _she'd_ been the one smacked around the back of the head as the colour drained from her face. "Jericho…is Billy okay?"

For fuck's sake, his kid was right here! Didn't the woman know the meaning of the word discreet?

"Maggie, look there's Sheriff Simms." Shelley was relieved to see the local lawman striding down the pathway. "Why don't you go see if Harden's awake? Maybe you two can go play…or work on some new secrets."

"Neat idea, Shelley! You know, I kinda like having you around. I'm real glad you're home!" Maggie leapt down from her stool and stared to run toward the brawny sheriff but then stopped. "Um…I don't' know if I should tell you, but I know another secret too…"

"You know you can tell me anything, honey?"

"Well, I know Billy likes having you around too." Maggie blushed slightly as she looked at her feet. "He also said he thinks you're pretty, so if you wanted to stay over again I don't think he would mind. Want me to ask him when he comes home?"

"Uh…I…no, no that's okay. I'll, um, speak to him, you run along and play. "

Shelley felt her stomach lurch. This was the last thing she needed. Billy Creel was her friend! Her _best_ fucking friend in Megaton…but that was all. Anything else was just another complication she didn't want to deal with right now.

God knows, her feelings about Colin Moriarty were complicated enough…

As she turned back to her meal, she was surprised to see Jenny looking at her like she was a radroach in the food locker. Everybody knew she had a thing for Billy and as far as Shelley knew, it had been a mutual attraction.

Guess not, huh…

She felt decidedly awkward and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Look Jenny…Maggie's just a kid, she probably misheard or something. You know Billy, he's one of the good guys, doesn't have a bad word to say about anybody…usually."

"Funny thing though…" Jenny replied, her voice a definite shade cooler than normal. "Never heard him describing many of the folks hereabouts as pretty, least not when he was talking to me."

"Oh come on, he's a guy!" Shelley shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "He was probably just being polite. Doesn't mean anything."

"Oh yeah?" Jenny sounded unconvinced. "So how come you were with him last night?"

_Jealousy_…_seriously_?

Shelley scowled and looked Jenny straight in the eye. "Look…I'd only just got back when I found him bleeding out near the clinic. Billy's my friend and I wasn't just going to leave him there in the fucking street just to spare your feelings! Fucking well get over yourself, Stahl."

"Hey look at his! My two favourite girls and both in the same place!" Shelley span around to see Billy walking towards the restaurant with a broad grin on his face.

"Billy!" Jenny's smile was sickeningly dazzling as she rushed around the counter and threw her arms around his neck. "God, I was so worried about you!"

"Take it easy, girl!" Billy chuckled, briefly hugging her before stepping out of her embrace. "I'm fine now, thanks to Shelley."

"Hey, it was Doc Church did all the work." She avoided his gaze and started counting out the caps to pay for her meal. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Still…" Billy laid a hand on her shoulder and moved in close. "You could have left me there, but you stayed until the Doc had taken care of me. Nice to know you care, dolly."

Shelley winced. She could almost feel Jenny Stahl's jealous gaze boring a hole into the back of her skull.

"It was nothing, really. We are friends after all…"

"Yeah, friends…" Billy leaned on the counter and tried to catch her eyes. "Look, I was wondering if you're not doing anything later, maybe I could cook something for you…as a way of saying thanks for looking after Maggie."

"That's…nice of you Billy, but actually I have plans." She smiled politely and climbed off her stool. "I haven't had chance to get home yet and I really need to sort out some stuff…"

"Oh? Anything I can help you with?" The guy really wasn't taking no for an answer…

"No!" She retorted and then flashed him an apologetic glance as she picked up her pack from the ground. "I mean…No thanks. Listen, I really gotta go. I'll catch up with you later, Billy…Jenny."

Shelley felt a little sick as she tried to ignore the hurt and confused look on Billy's face.

Jesus fucking Christ! Why did he have to go and ruin a perfectly good friendship by being…being…

Being what?

Young?

Caring?

Considerate?

Ridiculously handsome?

Fuck…

The man she wanted was none of those things…the man she wanted was Colin Moriarty.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"Come on boy…"

Dogmeat fell in beside her as she trudged up the hill toward her shack…sorry, _luxury apartment_. At least reading the crudely painted sign brought a smile to her lips and she looked down to see the dog regarding her almost expectantly.

"Oh, don't get your hopes up." She sighed. "I think that notice is a tad optimistic…"

"Aroo?" Sometimes she was sure the mutt could understand her…

"Just wait and see." She laughed, scratching him behind the ears. "It might make you wish you were back out in the wasteland.

Dogmeat barked and jumped up at her legs as if he was rushing her on. It didn't seem to bother him none that her shack was made of corrugated iron, scrap metal and reclaimed bits of timber. She guessed after being left alone in the scrapyard, it must have seemed like a palace to him and when she unlocked the door, he rushed past like a puppy in a playpen.

Home sweet home at last…

"Good Morning Madame." Wadsworth hovered down the stairs, his thrusters wheezing as he came to rest in front of her. "It is so good to see you."

"Morning Wadsworth." She grinned at the 'Mr Handy' robo-butler and patted his spherical body affectionately. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course Madame. Life without you is like a blight on my soul."

Robo-sarcasm….who knew…

"Could you organise some water for our new houseguest?"

"Am I to suppose Madame wants me to give the canine a drink?" Wadsworth sounded positively offended. "May I remind you that it takes me several days to produce enough fresh water…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Shelley muttered, waving her hand dismissively. "Just do it okay? That dog has saved my ass more than once out in the wasteland. If anyone deserves some fresh water, it's him."

"Well if you insist, Madame…" With a disgruntled hiss, the old machine disappeared into her kitchen area closely followed by Dogmeat. "I say, just hold on a second would you! Blasted canine…"

Shelley chuckled to herself and set her pack down on the rickety desk in the corner of the room. With more care than was probably necessary, she unpacked her weapons and lay them out before her. The hunting rifle and her ten-millimetre pistol were in good working order but her assault rifle and the shishkebab she'd constructed required serious attention…Moira probably wouldn't mind if she used the workbench at the Craterside Supply.

She also had a few grenades and land mines left, back into the storage locker with those…and the shotgun she'd found would need completely rebuilding. Luckily, she had another one to break apart for spares.

Not for the first time, she wondered what her father would think of all this. He'd certainly encouraged her in her interest in _tinkering_ as he'd put it. Probably never guessed it would end up with her fixing and constructing weapons…

Probably never guessed she would use those weapons to kill people.

Probably never guessed just how damn good she was at it.

Probably wouldn't approve…

Probably shouldn't have fucking left her behind then!

Hot tears burned in her eyes and she angrily smeared them away with her fists. So much had happened since James had left, so much that had taken everything she believed and twisted it inside out leaving her with only the reality of now.

In the vault, she'd been just another kid, the tomboy daughter of a scientist with a passion for fixing things and interest in medicine. She'd enjoyed shooting her BB gun on the range with Jonas and spent lots of time hanging out with Officer Gomez, learning how to defend herself and enjoying the militaristic nature of his security training.

And of course, she'd gotten pretty close to his son Freddy.

With him, she thought she'd found her _one and only_ but between his apparent frailty and her own more boisterous nature, the relationship was doomed before it had even started.

Then her dad had bailed on the vault, on his responsibilities and on her…selfish prick.

She'd been left to deal with the consequences and if it wasn't for Amata, who knows what would have happened? It was quite ironic to her that it was the Overseer's own fucking daughter that helped her to escape…but even Amata can't have had any idea of the person she'd become when she ventured out into the wasteland.

Shelley had learned pretty quick that being a weak, pathetic female wasn't going to help her survive outside of 101 and she'd had to harden her heart and toughen the fuck up just to get through the day.

The first guy she'd killed had been a wanderer.

He'd come across her sleeping in a burned out shack just outside of Silverdale and must have figured she was ripe for the taking. Her panicked screams as he'd tried to yank down the zipper on her jumpsuit had seen no one rushing to her rescue and looking back, she was lucky she didn't alert a whole bunch of raiders just to add to the fun, but then he'd tried to force himself between her legs.

She didn't remember when she'd picked up the rock, only that it crushed into his skull with alarming ease. He was already dead when she bucked him off her and pounded his head into a pulpy mass, covering herself and the inside of the shack in red gore and mushy brain matter.

Afterwards, she had staggered out into the night and threw up.

Bitter bile and an empty stomach seemed to clear her head and a coolly detached part of her took over. Going back into the shack, she'd stripped the guy of his clothes and armour, trying desperately not to gag from the stench of him and wiped the stuff free of flesh and bone fragments as best she could. Part of her was aware that at least if she looked like she belonged out here, then she might have more of a chance to cross the wasteland unchallenged.

A small chance, but a chance no less…

He was also carrying a rifle and a couple of pistols, not to mention enough ammo and caps to hopefully see her as far as the distant fortress like town she'd seen on the horizon.

After restlessly sleeping away the remainder of the night, Shelley had set off as soon as the weak yellow sun illuminated the ground enough to see without her pip-boy. On the way to the town she'd come across a couple of raider scouts attacking an unfortunate caravan owner who had already lost his guard to the onslaught.

Cold rage settled inside her heart as she flattened herself on the ground and lined up the first raider in her rifle sights. The scream of horror that tore through her mind as she blew his head clean off was nothing compared to sense of vengeful justice she experienced in ending his worthless life.

The second raider had spun around as soon as her _partner_ slumped to the ground. Spotting Shelley instantly, she'd begun screaming like a demented ghoul and raced toward her position, sub machine in one hand…baseball bat in the other.

Shelley had simply climbed to her feet, pulled one of the pistols from her belt and emptied round after round into the oncoming body of the bitch, ignoring the bullets that whizzed past her head as if they were of no consequence.

Raider slut was dead before she got within ten feet.

Disgust and repulsion were pushed to one side as she scavenged what she could from both corpses and then she approached the caravan owner. At first, he been as terrified of her as he had been of the raiders but as soon the cold mask of her killer instinct had dropped, he thanked her over and over and asked if she would be his security escort until he got to Megaton.

Turned out _that_ was the town on the horizon…

So just like she had like every time since, Shelley had pushed the deadly part of her nature to the back of her mind and entered Megaton with a friendly smile and open arms, pleased to see that most of the townsfolk greeted her in the same manner.

If only they knew the truth. If only they could see the woman she had to be out there.

The woman her dad had forced her to become by leaving the vault…

"Fuck…"

Shaking herself as if to throw off her rapidly blackening mood, Shelley returned her gaze to the desk of weapons spread out before her. She frowned as her eyes fell upon the massive launcher she'd recovered from the body of a fallen Brotherhood soldier in the GNR plaza.

The Fat Man was too damn heavy and not very pretty, but it certainly did the job. Not much could survive up to the blast of the mini nuke that was projected from the end of the thing…but for someone who liked to travel fast and light, to sneak in and out without drawing attention, it wasn't the most subtle weapon of choice.

If only it was smaller…

With a rueful sigh, Shelley placed it in the locker beside the other ordnance she'd collected and turned to walk back to the desk.

Then she spotted the package on the bookshelf.

"Wadsworth…what is that?" She picked up the paper wrapped parcel and eyed it suspiciously.

"I do beg your pardon Madame, I forgot to mention." The robo-butler whirred uncomfortably as he bustled back into the room. "Mr Moriarty dropped that off for you last week. He seemed most displeased to find that you were not yet back from the wasteland."

"Moriarty…Colin Moriarty was here?" She stared open mouthed at the package as she cautiously began to unwrap it.

"If you mean the slightly taciturn fellow you engaged in sexual activity with…" Wadsworth's yellow optic practically glowed with disapproval. "Indeed he was."

"Wadsworth!"

"He said that he had brought you _a gift_ and that I should give it to you as soon as you returned."

"Glad to see you were right on that…"

The paper tore open easily to reveal a long black nightgown made of some slinky fabric that slipped easily through her fingers. It was old and it was worn but damn, if it wasn't the finest things she'd seen either inside or outside of the vault!

It felt cool and wonderfully fluid in her hands and as she contemplated its figure hugging shape, her head was suddenly filled with heated visions of Colin's bronzed and naked body pressing against hers. She moaned softly as she imagined his lips against her throat and his hardened manhood pressing insistently against her sex while his rough hands travelled over the silken cloth and cupped the fullness of her breasts…

God. she wanted that so much.

No. She wanted _him_ so much…

An ache, stronger and more painful than any bullet wound pulled at her core and caused a damp longing to pulse needfully at her apex. She felt herself becoming breathless at the memory of his handsome, bearded face grinning down at her as he plundered her depths with his shaft, filling her with his hot sticky climax and making her scream his name as he carried her to an orgasm more intense than any she had ever known.

Just to have him between her legs once more would bring her so much pleasure, so much relief and so much peace…and also so much danger.

The ache that burned in her loins was starting to pale in comparison to the ache that was steadily growing in her heart.

She knew it was stupid, wait…fuck that. She knew it was crazy, but on some level she'd started to care for him desperately and as much as finding her father had been the reason for going out into the wasteland, so Colin Moriarty was rapidly becoming the reason she wanted to come back.

Sure, he was a purebred asshole who specialised in running whores, games and god knows what else out of that saloon of his but there was something else too. Something she'd seen only for the briefest of seconds, something she'd felt when he held her tightly.

She kinda got the impression that…well, he cared.

Didn't make him a saint or anything, hell…as far as she was concerned he was still a dangerous bastard who'd probably sell them all out if the price was right but there was just that tone in his voice that made her a little curious about his reasons for wanting _her_ in his bed again.

If it was just sex, then Nova was readily available and a shit load more experienced. It's not like she could charge him for a fuck since she was handing over most of her profits to him anyway.

If it really had been just an information trade off so he could fuck her virgin pussy, then why the gift and why say he wanted her to be his? It's not like he could pop her cherry twice…

The truth was, he had been almost tender as he cradled her in his arms after initially tearing through her like a dog in heat. He'd said pretty clearly that he _'gave a shit' _and for Colin Moriarty that was one big fucking statement! The guy didn't normally give a shit about anyone other than himself.

He'd been kinda concerned about her, sort of protective…almost fatherly…

Okay! That was just fucking wrong!

Shelley felt more than a little nauseous as she wondered if she was going through some sick oedipal thing, projecting her angry love for her father onto the older, charming Irish saloonkeeper that was so readily occupying her thoughts at the minute.

Jesus…it didn't take vault psych 101 to see that it wasn't exactly beyond the realms of possibility!

But then again, she'd _never_ had the kind of thoughts about her father that she was having about Colin Moriarty.

Thank God…

So what now?

Sooner or later, she was going to have to go and see him as it looked like the bastard had already been to see her and found her house empty. It was time to go pay the old man a visit.

Anyway, she had a reason for calling into the saloon. Finding Billy lying in the street with half his head split open hadn't exactly been the welcome she'd expected and she wanted to talk to that motherfucker Jericho about why he felt it so necessary to wail on her friends like that…

God, she really hated that man.

Still, there was no rush and she didn't want to appear _too_ eager and besides, she needed a good bath and a change of clothes and even Moriarty could wait until she felt a little more like her old self.

Now, what to wear afterwards...?

"Madame."

"Hmm?" Shelley turned to see the old robo-butler shuddering with outrage.

"Madame, it appears that the canine urinating against your desk."

Oh great.

This was turning out to be the best homecoming ever…


	4. The Saloon

THE SALOON

Fucking assholes…

The way the other citizens of Megaton just floated through their existence without ever really living a fucking day of their lives made him feel sick with disgust.

"Gob! Another beer!" Jericho slammed down the empty bottle and stared at the ghoul with a cold sneer on his face.

Back in the wasteland, zombies like him would have been nothing but a target to Jericho and his crew. Just another fucking mutant to be put down with the rest. Trust Moriarty to give the creep a job _to pay off his debt_…whatever the fuck that was.

Yeah, sure…shoulda just shot the zombie and be done with it. Asshole was just too much of a pussy to pull a trigger and so the ghoul ended up serving beer and cleaning house instead. Not only that, Jericho was pretty certain that the thing got his hands all over Nova when she was on her night off…

Jesus…that was disgusting.

Normally he wouldn't wanna touch a bitch after a ghoul had been through her with his rotten prick, but Jericho was fairly certain that Nova much preferred _his_ fat raider cock anyways. Hell, how could she not? She seemed eager enough last night when she was creaming all over him, didn't she? He was man enough for any woman, certainly enough for a whore like Nova.

Maybe when he finally got to piss on Moriarty's cold dead body he would take her with him, back into the wasteland. She'd soon learn what a real man was…not some fucking low-life like Moriarty or some rotting corpse of a bartender. In the past, Jericho had killed men like that simply for caps, kicks or for looking at him the wrong way.

Back in the day, he was feared, even by the other raiders in his gang.

And now…now…

Shit.

Now he was just another washed up has-been sitting in a bar in Megaton, dreaming of some fucked up happy ever after with a whore who'd probably caught some nasty-ass disease from all the men she balled in Moriarty's grimy bed.

Fuck it…fuck her...fuck Moriarty…fuck 'em all!

"Gob!" Jericho snarled, his temper flaring under the heavy burden of sobriety. "Where's my fucking beer?"

"Hold on, I'm coming…I'm coming…" The ghoul muttered as he set down the bottle on the bar. "Jeez Jericho, I can only move so fast you know?"

"Well, see that it's faster next time you rotting heap of shit!"

Jericho glared maliciously at Gob, willing the ghoul to start with his mouth, make a move…hell, anything to break the fucking monotony of another day spent getting wasted in Moriarty's saloon and for a brief moment there was definitely a challenge in his milky eyes.

"Gob! Stockroom needs checkin'…now."

Colin Moriarty emerged from the john at the back of the bar and gestured at the ghoul to get going. He watched intently as Gob bustled out of sight and then fixed Jericho with those icy eyes of his and smiled like a hungry yao-guai.

"Now Jericho…" He sighed, cigarette hanging limply from his lips as he casually fastened his zipper. "Don't be distractin' the lad when he's got work to do. Takes too damn long as it is."

"Dunno why you keep that freak around." Jericho snorted, swallowing down the beer and smacking his lips loudly. "Just looking at him is almost enough to put me off my drink!"

"I find that hard to believe." Moriarty countered, leaning against the bar and blowing smoke rings into the air. "You just haven't had enough yet, friend. Another five o' those and you'll be seein' a whole lot differently."

"Izzat so?" Jericho felt his face beginning to twitch as he sneered at the saloonkeeper. "You a fucking expert on me now?"

Every day he had to fight the urge to punch the mouthy fucker in that smug face of his, but there were just some fights you didn't start…unless you were willing to pay a price.

"Oh you'd be surprised…" The Irishman drawled, smiling to himself. "Me dear old dad always said there was nothin' better than beer or whiskey to ease a man's conscience or soothe his soul."

Jericho flinched involuntarily as Moriarty's head snapped round rather sudden like…

"And _who_ here knows what secrets you've been keepin', friend…" He added coldly, an arrogant grin creeping across his face. "Cos there are some things even the booze can't take the edge off, isn't that right?"

"I wouldn't know." Jericho returned his gaze with a steely glare of his own. "But I do know that I wouldn't be so fucking cocky unless I was asking for trouble to come a calling. Bars can seem real lonely when there's no one around to hear your screams…_ain't that right_?"

He smiled as he saw a nervous flicker pass over Moriarty's face and took a victorious swig from his bottle.

Funny thing though…

Crusty son of a bitch wasn't usually so easily rattled.

He noticed the saloonkeeper's eyes flick immediately to the door as it was pushed open, flooding the bar in sickly yellow sunlight. There was almost an expectant look in his face, like a fucking puppy dog looking for its master's hand, but when a couple of the local guys stepped in asking for drinks, Moriarty simply slumped back against the bar again.

Usually the tight bastard was more welcoming…to his paying customers anyways.

"You expecting somebody?" Curiosity forced the question from Jericho's lips.

"All the time." Moriarty let a slow smile spread across his lips, but he failed to hide to momentary disappointment that had creased his white brows. "I'm a busy man y'know. Always lookin' for new ways to earn a few more caps."

"Right, right…whatever you say pal."

There was definitely something going down. For the past couple of weeks Moriarty had certainly been on edge and though to everyone else in town he probably seemed like his normal mutherfucking self, Jericho was used to watching people.

Most of the blind fucks here assumed he just sat in the corner drinking himself into oblivion, but they never realised that his instincts for survival depended largely on reading what the other guy planned to do next…

Watching someone for that tell tale sign that they were cool, antsy, gonna make a run for it or about to try and toast your ass was as much a part of staying alive as being quicker on the draw and Jericho was a master of observation, even if he didn't really give a shit about the folks he was watching.

And as for Moriarty…fuck, he was as antsy as hell right now.

The door opened again and this time a bunch of wanderers burst in, bringing a whole heap of dust and shit with them. Moriarty had once again fixed his eyes on the door as soon as he heard the noise, but when he saw the strangers wandering through, he snorted like he was pissed at himself or something…

Jericho watched in silence as he went through the whole _don't be bringing trouble into me bar_ speech before showing them to a table and then shook his head.

"Jesus fucking Christ, you're tense!" He sneered. "You sure you're not waiting on someone? Another one of your _deals _or some shit like that?"

"What?" The Irishman suddenly fixed him with such a cold stare it would have made a snake back down.

Must have hit a nerve…

"Come on Moriarty!" Jericho grinned, enjoying the other man's obvious discomfort. "You always have something going on. You been watching that door like a hawk since you got out here…must be something pretty special to have you wound up so fucking tight."

"Listen here, friend." The now thoroughly irritated saloonkeeper took a long pull on his cigarette and burned away what was left of the butt before flicking it onto the floor. "Like I said, I'm always on the lookout for somethin' new and excitin' to come me way and you never know who's goin' to turn up next in a place like Megaton."

A gust of wind snatched the door away from the hands of the next customer to enter the saloon and was flung wide open with a clatter leaving her full figured silhouette stark against the sunlight beyond.

"Oh fuck me…" Jericho turned his back to the familiar figure, his lip curling as he drained the last of his beer and threw down the caps for another. "If it isn't Little Miss 101, the fucking Wasteland Crusader herself…"

"So it is…" Moriarty muttered, his eyes gleaming as she swept into the saloon like she owned the place. "Well now, didn't I say you never know who's goin' to show up?"

"I'll leave you to it." Jericho muttered. "Can't stand the self righteous fucking bitch, myself."

Grabbing the beer that Gob had quickly deposited on the bar, Jericho made for the table in the far corner of the side room and dropped into his regular seat. He was surprised to see that the little vaultie slut was watching him with an openly contemptuous look on her pale face and he spat emphatically on the floor.

"Put your eyes somewhere else." He said flatly, unable to stop himself from admiring just how good Shelley looked right now in a baggy pair of men's slacks and an old shirt open to the waist. God knows, her big fat titties looked real juicy in the black leather raider bra she was wearing beneath her civilian garb and he smiled suggestively as he wondered if she was wearing a matching thong.

Shame she was such a fucking do-gooder but then again, didn't have to like her to fuck her…

Probably teach her a fucking lesson for looking at him that way to begin with.

"Nice to see you too, Jericho." She muttered just loudly enough for him to hear and then she was all smiles and back slapping with the fucking ghoul behind the bar.

"Just what is it with the pussy in this town and the zombie?" He called to Moriarty, pointedly ignoring the looks he got from the other patrons. "If it's not Nova, then it's the motherfucking vaultie pushing her rack into his face! What's it take to get a piece of that action?"

"Probably more than we can afford, friend." Moriarty answered with an odd tone in his voice before grinning lewdly, lighting up another cigarette and walking out of the door to take his customary break on the landing outside.

Jericho scowled darkly and then wondered if he shouldn't have followed the Irishman outta the door.

Fuck knows the view was always the same, but it was sure better than watching the happy clappy crowd fawning over the vaultie.

Maybe another beer would make it easier to bear.

He really hoped so anyway…

* * *

Shelley tried to hide her disappointment behind a façade of smiling acceptance as first Gob then a half dozen or so other residents of Megaton all rushed to greet her.

It's not that she wasn't glad for all the congratulatory hugs and kind words, but the one man whose arms she wanted to feel around her just then had gone and walked out of the door without so much as a backward glance!

God damn Colin Moriarty!

Who the fuck did he think he was?

She swallowed down on the hard lump of frustration that had balled in her throat and took a seat at the end of the bar near the stairs. She knew he'd seen her…she'd felt the heat from his gaze as his pale eyes roved over her body and finally locked onto her face.

She couldn't be certain but she thought she had seen the faintest of smiles tugging at the corners of his mouth before she'd been distracted by the sight of Jericho slinking away into a dark corner.

The ex-raider reminded her of a filthy roach scurrying out of harm's way when someone switches the light on. Where was a big fucking boot when she needed one…?

The asshole had merely glared at her and told her to stop staring at him but there was something dirty in the look he gave her, a look she hadn't felt particularly happy about. She was certain Colin had seen it too but he'd said nothing until Jericho had made some comment about Gob and even then, it wasn't like he was defending her honour or anything.

Then he'd fucked off.

Well great. Nice to know he was watching her back.

Determined not to let it get under her skin she took a deep breath and let it our real slow. Ah, screw them both…they could just kiss her ass!

Feeling a little more composed, she looked around and realised she was kind of glad the saloon wasn't overly busy yet. There were mostly locals and a few new faces, but no sign of Lucy West, the Stahl's or Billy Creel…thank god. In fact, no one she was really friendly with, except for Gob of course.

The ghoul's genuine affection had almost made her feel welcome, save for the fact that his boss seemed to have given her the cold shoulder and she found herself sat opposite him as he tried his best to clean glasses that had obviously seen better days.

Still, there was another reason she was here besides Colin Moriarty.

"So Gob…" She began, innocently enough. "How's life treated you while I was away?"

"Oh man." He rasped as he reached under the bar for one of his _special _ beers. "It's so nice to see a friendly face." "Moriarty's been particularly nasty lately and it's been kinda hard, know what I mean?"

"Oh…" Shelley tried to keep her face and voice carefully neutral as she lifted the cap off the wonderfully cold bottle from the stash that was kept refrigerated for the most important customers…or the one's Gob really liked anyway. "What's up with him now?"

"I dunno." The ghoul answered with a resigned sigh. "He's been like a yao-guai with a sore head for the past couple of weeks…"

That was good to know. Maybe he missed her after all…

"…and then of course there was the fight last night." Gob's voice dropped as he flashed a milky glance in Jericho's direction. "He was sure pissed that at that Creel kid for riling up Jericho."

"What?" Shelley's eyes widened in surprise. "You saying _Billy_ started the fight?"

"Not really, well not exactly." The ghoul coughed uncomfortably and leant in close. "Jericho was mouthing off about…well, about a lot of things. You know how he can be."

"Yeah, but why don't you tell me anyway." Shelley frowned as she wondered just what had been said to make Billy go for the creep.

"Well it's kinda…um, that is he said…" Gob wiped a hand across his brow and swore as another piece of dry skin sloughed away leaving even more of his scalp exposed. "Listen…Jericho said some stuff about Maggie and he said some stuff about Jenny and he said…some stuff about you too."

"Stuff like what?" Shelley pressed, though in truth she had a fairly good idea already.

"Um…let's just say it was pretty bad, huh?" His eyes flicked urgently toward the saloon door as Moriarty strode back in with an accusatory look on his face that was directed squarely at the nervous ghoul. "Look Shelley, I can't really talk about it anymore. You _know_ who you should ask…"

"Don't' worry about it, Gob." She answered softly, picking up on his anxiety as the handsome saloonkeeper passed behind her and made his way around to the other side of the bar before stopping to inspect Gob's handiwork. "I'll probably be seeing Billy again later. I'll ask him about…things."

"You've seen, Billy?" Nova's sultry voice drifted into the conversation as she joined them at the bar. "Is he okay? He looked in pretty bad shape when he was thrown…when he left here last night."

"No, he was okay when I left him this morning." Shelley answered then felt her stomach lurch as she noticed Moriarty's face darken to a deep angry scowl. "I mean I saw him outside the clinic, not like I was with him or anything…"

"Aw honey, ain't none of my business if you were." Nova smiled knowingly and nudged her elbow. "Kind of explains why he was so keen to leap to your defence and all. I think it's kind of sweet really."

"No…wait." Shelley spoke louder than was strictly necessary, hopefully loud enough for Colin to hear quite clearly. "You got the wrong idea…"

"Hey, like I said. Ain't none of my business but I do think you could do a lot worse, hon. Billy's obviously got it bad for you and he's got a good heart…"

"Nova!" Moriarty snarled suddenly, his eyes flashing as he slammed a glass down onto the bar so hard that it broke. "I don't pay you to talk, I pay you to fuck so why're you standin' around making idle chit chat when there's caps to be earned?"

"Shit Colin, I just got here. Gimme a break would you?" Nova looked at her boss defiantly, though Shelley could see the wariness in her green eyes. "I had a rough night last night with you know who…I'm kinda tired."

"Aw, me heart bleeds!" He sneered, nodding toward the strangers who'd arrived earlier. "If'n you're too tired to do your job, what use are you t'me? Lord save us from lazy whores who can't even earn their keep. Maybe it's time to replace your raggedy arse…"

"Hey, there's no need to be such a fucking asshole!" Shelley snapped, unable to hear any more. "She's still a human being, Colin!"

"And who are you to be takin' to me like that and what the fuck does it have to do with you?" The venom in his voice took her aback but Shelley refused to be intimidated.

"I'm someone who gives a shit!" She spat, the blood roaring in her ears. "Mean anything to you?"

"Take it easy, both of you…." Nova breathed looking anxiously from one to the other and Shelley was aware that the saloon had fallen silent and that all eyes were on the brewing confrontation. "Listen honey, I don't need you to fight my battles for me, I got this…okay?"

The pretty whore smiled sadly and then nodded respectfully at Colin before approaching the table with the wanderers. Shelley opened her mouth to protest but instead found herself being seized roughly by the arm.

"Maybe you and I can continue this conversation out back!" Moriarty growled, as he hauled her past the makeshift stockroom into what passed for his office, just beyond. "Just who in the hell do you think you are?"

"You arrogant bastard!" Shelley grunted as he shoved her hard against the wall. "You treat people like shit and expect me to stand by and say nothing…"

"That piece of arse out there is mine until she's worked off her damn debt." He snarled, towering over her as he pressed in tightly. "You got no say in how I deal with that so don't ever, _ever_ speak to me like that again in me own bar…you got me?"

"I got you." Shelley replied, her lip curling even as her body began to quiver with longing at his closeness. "But don't ever speak to _her_ in front of me like that again or so fucking help me, I'll…"

"You'll what?" His hands moved to her waist and she could feel his hot breath on her face. "You'll go a runnin' to Billy Creel? Seekin' comfort in the arms of a boy who's no where near man enough for a girl like you?"

"I'm not in…involved with Billy Creel." She felt her throat becoming tight as she flattened herself against the corrugated steel behind her. "I'd have thought you of all people should know that…"

His hands were working at her buckle, loosening both the leather belt and her slacks just enough to slide them down over her hips.

"I saw you last night…" His voice rumbled against her throat as he bent down to nip at the skin of her neck with his teeth. "Cradlin' him like a newborn, you were…"

"He was hurt…" She panted, her body betraying her feelings as the tender flesh of her nipples became taught, and creamy wetness soaked through her soft cotton shorts. "I just took him to the clinic and then left…."

"So you went home then...?" His expert fingers slid beneath the fabric covering her sex and began to push through her soft curling pubic hair.

"No. I stayed at Billy's."

Colin froze and he pulled back to look at her with possessive jealousy burning in his eyes. "So you _were_ there this mornin'?"

"Oh for fuck's sake! Yes I was there this morning!" Shelley felt her anger returning as she looked into his bronzed leonine face.

"You lyin' little bitch." He snarled, grabbing a handful of her long black hair and yanking her head back. "I thought you said you saw him outside the clinic?"

"I stayed over 'cos I was looking after Maggie, you stupid bastard!" She growled, trembling in his grasp but not from any sense of fear. "So how about you get over yourself and take your fucking hands off me!"

"That what you really want…?" He murmured, his grip loosening as he pressed in close once more, the stiff white hairs of his beard brushing against her cheek.

"If you're not going to trust me, then yes." She answered only semi-truthfully.

"Now you _are_ lyin.'" Once more, his fingers found their way beneath her shorts and she gasped as he pushed an insistent digit into the wet heat between her nether lips. "You realise yer body is tellin' me different."

"Fuck you, old man…" She whimpered softly as he began to trace agonising circles around her swollen clitoris.

"That was the general idea, little girl…"

Shelley's world exploded into sensation as Moriarty forcefully pressed his lips against hers whilst rubbing his fingertip over her aching nub. She cursed herself for being so weak even as her hands reached up to tangle in the thick mass of his bone white hair and she smothered her mewls of pleasure in his open mouth, tasting the flavour of him with her probing tongue.

The hand that had been wrapped around the back of her head, now travelled down past her collarbone to liberate one pendulous breast from her exposed leather bra and she writhed excitedly as he began to massage the soft white flesh, catching her sensitively erect nipple between his finger and thumb.

"Shit, little girl…" He breathed, taking a moment to watch her through heavily lidded eyes. "D'you even know what you've done t'me...?"

The finger playing with her clitoris was joined by a second and Shelley cried out in ecstasy as he pushed both slick digits into her aching core.

"What I've done to you…" She sighed incredulously, her inner walls quivering as he crooked his fingers inside her. "Jesus fucking Christ Colin, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I left…"

She dropped her hands to his zipper and groaned as she felt the lustful hardness of his erect penis straining against the thick fabric of his combat pants.

"I want you." She whispered, sliding the catch downward through the metal teeth. "I want you so much it hurts…"

Moriarty shuddered as she finally pulled his thick shaft free of his clothing. He felt hot and solid in her hands and she felt her own sex creaming around his fingers in anticipation of what was to come.

"Now you've done it…" He growled, a sly grin complementing the gleaming desire that glowed in his eyes. "Now I'm not goin' to be happy 'til I've fucked you senseless…"

"You'll fuck me senseless?" She grinned right back and grabbed his overly firm scrotum in her hand. "Seems to me as you are the one who needs a little relief…old man."

"Oh, so it's like that is it?" He slid his fingers from the wetness of her vagina and pushed her shorts down over the curves of her firm toned ass. "Well, given your slacks are sorta in the way o' you wrappin' your legs round me waist…you'll have to bend over for me, little girl."

"I thought you'd never ask…"

Shelley threw herself against him then and kissed him so hard that she tasted his blood on her lips. He seemed momentarily taken aback by the passion with which she claimed him, but soon he was returning her kisses with equal fervour and his fingers dug painfully into her ass cheeks as he pulled her body against his pulsing manhood.

"Now…" He growled, desire giving his voice a gravelly edge. "Let me see that willin' pussy o' yours…"

Reluctantly, Shelley left the satisfaction of his lips and turned her back to him, leaning forward slightly so that her hands rested on the stack of crates in the corner of the room. She let out a sigh as he caressed her buttocks almost tenderly and then held her breath as he pulled them apart and positioned his silken head at her dripping entrance.

"Now remember where we are, little girl." Moriarty said huskily as he began to slowly inch his way inside. "Try not t'scream the place down if you can…"

"I'll try…"

But Shelley couldn't help but cry out as he fully entered her in one deliciously sudden movement. It still felt so new and so strange having him inside her like that, but she was starting to crave the way his cock made her feel so she pushed back hard, her covering him with her slick arousal.

His second thrust was firmer, harder and she grunted with the effort of staying on her feet as he ground himself into her, flexing his hips so that every last inch of him was buried in the wetness of her body.

Senses flaring wildly, she tried to focus on the feeling of his deeply probing cock and frankly…she knew she couldn't last. Her walls were already clenching spasmodically around him and spots of light were dancing in her vision even as he pulled back to fuck her again.

"Do it, Colin…" She begged, her body desperate for the release of orgasm. "Please…please just…do it…."

"Jesus, Shelley…God help me but I've missed you so much…" If Moriarty realised what he'd said, it was lost to the moment as he began to plunge repeatedly into her in a steady rhythm that seemed to be causing him to grow even more firm inside her.

She could feel his hands gripping tightly as he grasped her hips, pulling her onto him harder and harder, and she bit down on her lip trying not to scream his name as her feelings pushed all rational thought from her body.

Hot sticky fluid ran down the back of her thighs as together, they rode out the waves of lust and euphoria and Shelley was certain that at any moment, she was going to come…

"Hey, Mister Moriarty? Nova wanted me to ask you…oh shit!"

"Gob!" Moriarty snarled as he threw a baleful glare at the startled ghoul. "Get the fuck outta here right now! And you didn't see nothin' d'you hear me…nothin'!"

Shelley felt her face turning scarlet as she slid free of Moriarty's length and hastily pulled up her slacks. She felt bereft, left partway between orgasm and despair as the cold reality of discovery sank in to replace the heated passion of their encounter.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Colin cursed loudly behind her, angrily punching the wall in frustration as his cock began to soften. "Gob, of all people! You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me…!"

"Could've b-been worse…" She stammered, remembering Jericho was still out there and that she still hadn't found out the whole truth about Billy. "Look, maybe this was a bad idea…we should have just…waited, I guess."

She was pleasantly surprised when the saloonkeeper swept her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest.

"Jesus, little girl…I've been waitin' with baited breath for two weeks now, never knowin' if you were alive or dead!" He placed a finger underneath her chin and lifted her face toward his before placing an uncharacteristically gentle kiss upon her trembling lips. "So'n you'll have to be forgivin' me if I was a little…impatient to get reacquainted."

There it was.

That same look that he'd given her before she left to find her father.

"Colin…" She began, reaching up to brush away some ivory strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "Why don't you come over tonight, after closing. I can get Wadsworth to cook something and we can…well…let's just say we can pick up where we left off and won't be disturbed."

For the first time in her life, Shelley saw a genuine smile on the lips of Colin Moriarty.

"That would be grand." He answered quietly and kissed her once more before the familiar mask of arrogance fell back into place obscuring the tenderness he had only just showed her. "Still, if you're goin' out there you'd better put _that_ away before the whole fuckin' town gets a look see!"

Shelley's brow creased in puzzlement as she looked to where he was pointing and then laughed as she realised that one breast was still bulging out of her bra.

"You need talk!" She exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in amusement. "I don't think people are too happy to be served beer by a man with his dick hanging out!"

His own eyes drifted to his exposed and now decidedly flaccid member and he snorted as he shoved it back in his pants and fastened the zipper.

"Go on, now." He said, sighing as he ran his hands through his unkempt hair. "Get out there before anyone else comes lookin' for you. I'll be along when I'm ready."

Shelley felt like she'd been dismissed as Moriarty turned his back to her and pulled a pack of cigarettes from beneath his tee-shirt sleeve. He didn't even look up as she passed him but she did notice that his hands were shaking as he held a match to the end of the smoke that now dangled limply from his lips.

"Oh and Shelley…" He added quietly, causing her to pause at the stockroom door. "Could you kindly ask Gob to step in here a moment?"

"Colin, you're not going to…"

"Don't be makin' me go over this employee relations shit again, little girl." Ice cold eyes met hers as Moriarty lifted his head and offered her a wolfish smile. "I just need to be remindin' him of one or two things…"

She opened her mouth to protest but then, Gob appeared at her side.

"It's okay Shelley." He croaked, offering her an unconvincing smile. "I…I gotta to speak to the boss anyhow. You needed to see me Mister Moriarty?"

As the ghoul disappeared into the back, Shelley found herself wondering just how the fuck she'd ended up involved with a man who was as volatile as a radstorm and just as hard to pin down.

The real problem with radstorms though was the longer you spent in the embrace of a heated vortex embrace…

…the deadlier they were.


	5. The Price of Silence

THE PRICE OF SILENCE

Shelley felt like everyone was watching her when she stepped back out into the saloon. A few of the friendlier faces looked at her with something approaching concerned curiosity and the rest just seemed intrigued by the whole thing and sniggered behind their hands.

Wow…the vaultie had just been brought down a peg or two by the mighty Colin Moriarty, that'll teach her to try and call the shots in his bar! Out in the Wasteland she may be somebody but in here, she was just another fucking customer who was getting a little too big for her boots…

Assholes.

They wouldn't know the truth if it hit them in the face!

Pride willed her to yell out, to tell them all that the real reason for her absence was not because he was beating her down for getting in his face but because he wanted to be with her, to touch her and feel her body next to his...so much so that he had taken her right under their fucking noses and they didn't even realise it!

Yeah, that little snippet of truth would soon wipe the smug looks off their faces and give them something else to think about!

And that was the problem…Shelley wasn't ready for that yet.

Moriarty had one helluva reputation and rightly so. There was a side to him that was cold, calculating, brutal and just downright fucking nasty and it twisted her up inside to know that even despite that, she couldn't get the guy out of her mind or her heart.

Just what the good people of Megaton would say if they knew that she longed to spend every night lying in his powerful embrace was something she couldn't face right now...not when Gob was in there, probably getting the shit kicked out of him for walking in on them as they'd fucked each other rigid…

Yeah…she felt really proud of herself, alright.

Feeling more self -conscious than ever, Shelley retrieved the beer she'd left on the bar and made her way to one of the tables. It was getting toward mid-day and Lucy West usually put in an appearance about this time, maybe some mindless girl talk would take her mind off him.

Yeah, she could ask her how Ian was doing in Arefu!

From what she gathered, the peace she'd negotiated between the residents there and the vampirically mutated _Family_ seemed to be working out really well!

If only all problems could be sorted out so easily…

Easily?

Shelley laughed to herself as she contemplated the fact that she found negotiating a truce between subterranean vampiric mutants and a bunch of terrified townsfolk a damn sight easier to deal with than her feelings for a certain Irish saloonkeeper.

That was probably not a good sign.

She took a long drink from the bottle and tried to relax as the bitter liquid washed cleanly down her throat.

It was good beer.

The beer that Gob had given her.

Damn…

The sound of laughter erupted spontaneously ahead of her as the table of wanderers ordered another round. They had no idea what was going on and weren't about to ask as Nova coyly slid from the lap of one of the men and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar.

"Here you go guys." She giggled, placing it on their table. "And before you ask, that's not included in the price, okay? You pay Moriarty for the booze and me for the good time."

"Whatever you say, darlin'!" One of them called, licking his lips. "Just so you know, I get to go first! I ain't following Dean!"

"You _can't_ follow me!" Presumably the aforementioned _Dean_ retorted. "By the time I'm through, lady will be too spoiled by my big fat dick to enjoy anything your little prick has to offer!"

There was more braying laughter as the pathetic display of macho cock waving continued…

"Take it easy guys…" Nova had the patience of a saint to deal with that shit. "I'll be back in a second, okay?"

Shelley shook her head and glared at the men as Nova took a seat opposite her.

"Don't worry about them, kid." She whispered quietly. "They're just like all johns…tall stories and little dicks."

Shelley scowled, her temper flaring as the group continued to brag about their sexual prowess and just how much each of them was going to make Nova squeal like a bitch...

"I don't know how you do it, Nova." She breathed, trying to let their comments wash over her. "Just hearing them talk about you like that…"

"It's part of the job, hon." The red-head smiled ruefully and shrugged her shoulders. "You kinda get used to it…besides, Colin always takes care of the guys who get a little too rough. He's not a man to cross."

Shelley looked up at the mention of his name and realised her cheeks were flushing.

"Speaking of which…" Nova reached out and laid her gloved hand on her arm. "He didn't hurt you did he, honey?"

"What?"

"Did he hurt you?" The caring look on the face of the woman before her was making Shelley feel even worse. "I know how dangerous he can be when he's mad and when I saw him hauling you outta here, I was scared for you."

"Oh god…" Shelley let her head fall into her hands rather than face the worry in those sparkling green eyes.

"We heard a little shouting but then it went quiet and Gob thought he heard you cry out so he went to see if you were okay…"

"Oh fuck no…" Shelley felt sick to her stomach and bit back angry tears as she realised that Gob had been looking out for her. Sweet simple Gob had assumed she was in trouble and deliberately put himself in harm's way to protect her and now he was paying the price.

That's what real friends did for you.

Real friends who didn't know you were screwing their boss…

"I gotta stop him!" She exclaimed, almost knocking the table over as she rushed to her feet.

"No don't!" Nova's grip was firm as she pulled her back down and her eyes were wide with panic. "If you do that, it'll only make things worse! You don't know what Colin is capable of."

"I can't just sit back and…oh no…"

Shelley almost choked on her words as Gob emerged from the back room. His face looked haggard even for a ghoul and from the way he was walking, she could tell he was hurt….bad.

"Gob…" Her voice sounded pathetically small as she approached the barman and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What can I get you, vaultie?" He asked through lips that were bloodied and raw.

"Gob…I'm sorry." The words sounded hollow and meaningless even to her, but she meant it with every fibre of her being. "You're my friend and I should have told you, I never meant for this to happen…Jesus, I'm so fucking sorry."

"What can I get you?" He repeated automatically before finally meeting her eyes.

Even through the milky whiteness obscuring his irises, she could plainly see the pain of betrayal behind his accusatory stare and sense the bitterness of his disappointment.

She'd let him down badly. This was _her_ fault.

Just then, Moriarty swaggered into view wiping his hands on an old bar towel and she stared at him in sheer disbelief as he winked at her.

"Well come on now, little girl." He purred, his silky Irish brogue making him sound like he was full of the joys of spring. "This one's on the house, so what'll it be?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I'm done here." She managed to spit out the words before her voice threatened to crack and then looked back to Gob with un-spilled tears in her eyes. "I really am sorry…"

He didn't bother to acknowledge her apology as she turned to leave and seriously, she didn't expect him to.

"Where you going, hon?" Nova asked with a puzzled expression on her face as Shelley hurried past, but she couldn't answer.

Truth was, she just couldn't bear to be there any longer knowing that she'd done that to Gob…knowing that _he'd_ done that to Gob. She didn't deserve the ghoul's concern or his friendship, nor Nova's for that matter and she just wanted to get the fuck out of the dimly lit saloon, grab some air and clear her head.

God knows screwing Moriarty had initially meant to be nothing more than a simple business transaction but now…now she was in way too deep and despite everything she knew and everything she'd learned about the son of a bitch, she couldn't help the way she felt about him.

Just what the fuck did that say about her…?

"Whazza matter, vaultie?" Jericho's drawling voice was heavy with sarcasm as she reached the door. "Did the nasty bartender make ya cry!"

Shelley stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at the ex-raider. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I was just thinking aloud is all." He sneered, climbing slowly to his feet and stepping right in front of her, his eyes fixed on hers and his hands balling into fists at his side. "I mean it's gotta hurt some when the local fucking hero gets her sorry ass handed to her by a second rate asshole like Moriarty!"

Jericho was so close now that she could smell the foetid stench of his sweat.

"Maybe a few more smacks around that pretty head of yours would knock out that whole saviour complex you got going…whaddya think?"

She knew he was baiting her, that she should just step aside and leave but there was that familiar cold fury building in the pit of her stomach. It drove out all of the pain and anger that had threatened to overwhelm her earlier and now she was on a different level.

This was the level she operated on when she was out in the Wasteland.

This was the level she operated on when she killed…

"I think you need to sit down." She stated flatly, her voice devoid of all emotion.

"You fucking serious?" Jericho began to laugh as he studied her face. "Yeah, I think you are! You know, you look like you wanna kill me, vaultie…yeah, real stone cold…"

His bloodshot eyes seemed to suddenly snap into focus and bore right into her soul. Behind her, she was dimly aware of the sounds of a commotion going on but she just couldn't look away from the man before her.

She felt poised…on the edge…a predator waiting to strike.

"Sit down Jericho. Sit down before I put you down."

It was as if the passing of time was suddenly suspended around her as she stared into the swirling eyes of the ex-raider. There was something that passed between them, something dark and ugly that recognised a kindred spirit in slaughter. They were both murderers and they'd both done things none of the other people in Megaton would ever understand.

To kill someone, to take their life and their goods and leave them to rot in the Wasteland without ever questioning why it came so fucking naturally took a certain mindset and probably more than just a touch of psychosis.

The fact that Jericho had killed for shits and giggles and she killed in the name of freedom and justice was neither here nor there.

The sickening fact was, they really weren't that different.

"Are we havin' a problem here?" Moriarty's voice shattered the bubble of her reflective thoughts as he finally pushed his way through the crowd. "You're makin' me customers nervous and when they get nervous, I get a little agitated meself…"

"Take it easy, pal." .Jericho was the first to break eye contact and he grinned dangerously at the burly saloonkeeper. "There's no trouble here…I was just gonna buy the kid a drink."

"Is that a fact?" Moriarty inched closer and she could almost feel his body pressing protectively against her. "See, looked t'me like you were about to do somethin' really stupid…especially after the fiasco the other night..."

"Nah…." Jericho sneered, and then looked back to Shelley. "We was just gonna have a drink or maybe two and compare wounds, y'know…one _warrior_ to another…"

"Maybe some other time." Shelley answered, regarding him coldly as s he felt the tide of her rage beginning to ebb. "I'll be seeing you around…you can count on that."

"Whatever you say, vaultie..."

With a final smirk at Moriarty, Jericho made his way back to his table and dropped casually into his chair. There was a strange look on his face, something Shelley had never seen before and it jarred awkwardly with his obvious hatred and natural contempt for her.

She couldn't be certain, but she could have sworn that it was almost a look of respect…

"Y'okay?" Moriarty whispered urgently into her ear, his hot breath caressing the tiny hairs on the back of her neck and making her shiver with pleasure.

"I'm fine." She answered curtly, delighted and disgusted by her body's reaction to the sensation. "I just have somewhere to be."

She shrugged off his attempts to stop her and pushed open the door of the saloon, stepping into the bright daylight beyond.

* * *

Taking a deep breath to try and purge the last of the tension from her body, she leaned out over the balcony and looked down upon the town of Megaton. Below her, Confessor Cromwell was still extolling the virtues of worshipping the Atom and she wondered briefly if it had ever made any difference to him that she'd diffused the great bomb that gave the town its name.

Near the clinic, Doc Church was talking to Manya, probably about the dosage of meds she was taking to ease her arthritis and just up the main street, Lucas Simms was listening to old man Nathan as he ranted and raved about the power of the Enclave. The smell of Jenny Stahl's cooking wafted up from the Brass Lantern and tugged insistently at her growling belly, but even that couldn't completely mask the gut feelings of guilt, anxiety and anger over what had happened since she stepped foot in the saloon that morning.

"Y'know…it was me own dad who helped to build this place."

Shelley groaned as Moriarty leaned on the balcony next to her, a cigarette smouldering between his fingers. She wasn't really that surprised that he'd followed her out, he usually took his break around this time anyway.

"Built the saloon from nothin' he did…" He continued, ignoring the way she shifted uncomfortably beside him. "It was his pride and joy, all he ever cared about…that and the whiskey of course."

"Is this the part where you tell me you're a complete bastard because he didn't love you enough?" She muttered, the tension creeping back into her neck.

"Ooh…well look who's gettin' all tetchy with me!" He turned over and leaned his back against the railing, elbows propping up shoulders as he tried to catch her eyes. "Is that any way t'speak to the man who just stopped you from getting yourself killed?"

She snorted derisively. "I can handle Jericho."

"Oh you think so?" Moriarty took a long pull on his cigarette and leaned in close, letting his smoky exhalation coil annoyingly around her throat. "Cos last time I checked, he had you wound up tighter than a virgin's arse! The man is a fuckin' animal, Shelley. You don't realise what he's capable of…"

"And you don't realise what _I'm_ capable of!" She snarled, her hands gripping the rail with knuckles that were turning white. "And excuse the fuck outta me but _he's_ an animal? It wasn't Jericho that was beating the shit out of Gob just because his boss didn't get to empty his balls…"

"What I did to Gob, I did because I had to!" Moriarty countered through gritted teeth. "I can't have just anyone knowin' about us! You have no idea o' the kinds o' risks I'm takin' just bein' with you."

Shelley glared at the Irishman, her eyes blazing with indignation. "The risks _you're_ taking, you arrogant fuck! Don't you dare use me to justify what you did to him! Just who the fuck do think you are?"

For a second she thought he was going to hit her, but another deep inhalation of bitter smoke seemed to calm him down some.

"Take it easy, little girl." He sighed, glancing around anxiously. "Look, here ain't the place to be explainin' meself to you. I'll come and talk to you after hours, at yours just like we planned."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She would have laughed at his presumption if she wasn't in such a foul mood. "You seriously think I'm letting you through my door after what you did!"

"May I remind you it was me who stopped that raider cunt from endin' your days on me barroom floor!"

"And may I remind you that I don't need your fucking help …"

"Shelley…is everything okay?" Billy Creel moved out of the shade of the old blue bus that served as covered walkway leading to the saloon.

Oh great.

Just what she needed.

"Billy…" She sighed, feeling awkward and ashamed as he looked from her to Moriarty and back again. "Yeah, everything's fine. We were just talking."

"Looked like more than just talking to me, dolly." He said, watching Moriarty like a molerat watches a radscorpion. "Is this guy bothering you?"

"Botherin' her, is it?" Moriarty snorted as he flicked away his cigarette butt. "How about you run along and go play with the other kiddies, leavin' us grown ups to talk?"

"How about you kiss my ass?" Billy bit back, his handsome face creasing into a scowl. "Girl's just back from the Wasteland , man! She don't need to be taking any shit from the likes of you so why don't you just give her a break? She's not one of your whores!"

"Oh, sure'n you're about ten seconds from me tearin' you a new arsehole, boy!" Moriarty lunged forward but Shelley grabbed the collar of his stiff leather vest and shook her head.

"Colin, just leave it…please." She spoke in hushed tones, her words barely audible over the religious chant of the Confessor below. "I've had enough of this for one day. Just leave him alone, he doesn't know what's going on. Please Colin…for me?"

At that, his head whipped round and his pale eyes locked onto hers. She could see the indecision warring within as he looked to Billy, then back to her again.

"You know somethin'…" He muttered, leaning in so close she could feel the anger radiating through his skin. "I'm done with you…you're more trouble than you're fuckin' worth for a piece o'cunt!"

Slapping her hands away with a sweep of his arm, he stalked back to the saloon without so much of a backward glance. Part of her wanted to go chasing after him like a pathetic lovesick kid, to make him stop and to feel his lips upon hers.

To tell him that she…tell him that she…

Tell him what?

Oh no.

If she didn't say it, it wasn't true.

She couldn't even stand him that much right now, so it _couldn't_ be true…could it?

"Hey…" Billy's gentle touch on her arm made her jump. "Whoa…take it easy, dolly! You okay?"

"Shit, yeah…I'm…" Her mind was still reeling as she tried to pull it together and the look Billy gave her wasn't helping. "I'm fine Billy, really. We were just…talking about Jericho is all."

Yet another half-truth delivered to yet another good friend. This was getting to be regular thing…

"Oh man, not on my account I hope?" Billy sighed and then looked toward the door scowling deeply. "Don't tell me that mean Irish son of a bitch kicked you out too?"

"No, no he didn't." Shelley answered, running her fingers through her hair. "He was just…ah, warning me off. You know what he's like where Jericho is concerned."

"Yeah, knowing him you'd think he'd be less congenial to a guy who never pays his bar bills!" Billy grinned, then chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I just can't work out what's with those two. Must be some serious caps involved for Moriarty to put up with his shit?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Shelley murmured, her mind beginning to wonder just what it was about the ex-raider that stopped him from getting his sorry ass thrown out of the saloon or hell, even the town altogether!

A particularly raucous burst of laughter from inside made her glance at the door and she straightened up, rolling her shoulders to stretch the tension out of the top of her spine.

"Well…" Billy began, watching her intently as she flexed her neck this way and that. "I was gonna ask you if I could buy you a drink, but I'm guessing Moriarty's is the last place you wanna be right now?"

"You have no idea…" She grumbled under her breath and then tried her best to raise a genuine smile. "Sorry, bad timing."

"That's what I figured..." Billy chuckled then tugged uncomfortably on his bandana. "So, how about instead I cook you that meal later tonight, y'know if you're free and all?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, that she was expecting a guest, but then again Moriarty had made it quite plain that he was done and as far as she was concerned it was all for the best…no matter how much it hurt. She was a free agent and Billy was just a friend for fuck's sake. Maybe spending some time with him would be just the thing she needed to take her mind off her disaster of a love life and the clusterfuck that had passed for the morning.

"Yeah, why not." She agreed with a sigh. "I could do with good food and some good company. Besides, I can get in some girl time with Maggie, I said I would show her how to braid her hair."

"Oh…ah, Maggie is staying over at the Simms' tonight." Billy answered, looking slightly flustered. "I was thinking actually it might be nice if it was well, just the two of us…"

"Billy…"

"Look, it's just dinner!" He cut off her protests with a silly grin and wave of his hands. "We're just two friends, hanging out and having a good time, right? No ulterior motives and no pressure."

She peered at him from beneath a raised eyebrow and couldn't help but smile back. "Just dinner and no pressure…?"

"Hey dolly, I promise!" Billy Held his hand over his heart and assumed the most serious expression she'd ever seen him wear. "Just one little thing though, can I borrow some of that mirelurk meat I know you got stashed in your refrigerator?"

"_Borrow_ it?" Shelley replied, crossing her arms over her chest and grinning. "You want to _borrow_ my mirelurk meat?"

"Yeah well, you'll get it back…sort of." Billy explained, his remaining rich brown eye twinkling with mirth. "I make the best mirelurk cakes you ever tasted! Seriously, people have travelled across the wasteland just to eat my food!"

"Uh-huh?" Shelley nodded. "Well all I can say is it better be good, otherwise I'm gonna have to get mean on your ass for ruining my hard earned meat!"

"Promises, promises!"

"Hey…!"

The joking and the teasing continued as they made their way across the rickety walkways to their respective shacks and Shelley ended up tearing with laughter. God knows, she'd done little enough of that since she left the vault.

She waved goodbye to Billy and approached her own doorway, pausing to try to remember if she'd ever laughed like that with Colin. The honest answer was no, never. The Irishman did seem to have a smile for every occasion but he'd never made her laugh like Billy did.

But then again, she didn't feel about Billy, the way she did about Moriarty and that was the real problem. Only Colin seemed to be able to make her pulse race, her loins throb and her heart pound.

Jesus…

Only in her fucked up world could a man like Colin Moriarty be the only one she wanted.


	6. The Whore

THE WHORE

He was feeling more than a little drunk and he hated it.

Being drunk meant you weren't in control and when you weren't in control, it made you weak and if you were weak, then your enemies could scent your blood and move in for the kill.

Sure'n that was never goin' to happen to Colin Moriarty if he could help it!

He was glad the saloon was closed and empty so that no one was around to see him as he drained the last of the rough scotch from his glass and set it down on the bar. The place was in relative darkness and the only noise he could hear was the soft thump of the great fan set high in the wall above the door.

It was a good time to be alone with his thoughts, those that weren't soaked in an alcoholic haze that is…

With an accusative stare his empty whiskey bottle, he pushed away the equally empty glass and leaned on the saloon bar, resting his head on his hand.

God damn but he'd never felt like this…ever.

It was all her fault, the little girl from the 101 with her sad grey eyes, silky soft skin and hair as black as his own mood. Since the moment she'd drifted into town looking for dear old James, wearing her naiveté like a badge o' pride even as she tried to convince him that she was really some hard-bitten wastelander who could look after herself, he'd thought of little else but getting her out of that damned vault jumpsuit and into his bed.

There was something in her innocence, something clean and new that made him want a taste of her like a junkie wants his next hit. From the second she opened that pretty mouth o' hers to the moment he felt her pulsing around him as he took that innocence away, he knew that he would crave her like nothing else.

God knows, when he'd felt the tight wetness of her delicious cunt sliding over his cock earlier that morning, he'd been so desperate to fill her up that he'd been a little too careless and it was only a stoke o' luck that Gob had come wandering in and not that fucker Jericho.

The ghoul was easily silenced with a good beating but had it been the ex-raider who'd caught them, then he'd been in a world o' shit.

At the moment, he had the deadbeat by the balls…a nice little piece on his terminal about Jericho's penchant for wanting _girls who say no_ saw to that. The old bastard had tried to slip his dick into that Stahl lass, skinny straggly thing that she was, but he'd forgotten to ask first.

Playing hard to get he'd said…attempted rape she'd called it when Moriarty had found her shaking in her boots behind the Brass Lantern.

It had taken a lot of fast talking and more than few thinly veiled threats to stop her running her mouth off to those brothers of hers or worse still, Lucas Simms. Convincing her to keep her legs crossed and her mouth shut had been one of his finest moments and playing on the whole _the town needs men like Jericho to defend it_ angle had been a stroke of genius.

All it took was an appeal to Stahl's sense of civic duty by playing on the safety of her fellow citizens and the girl was ready to sell her soul!

Anyway, it had worked out rather well for him all things considered.

Sure, the Stahl girl would be a little jumpy for a while but she'd get over it. Jericho on the other hand had handed Moriarty an advantage he intended to use for everything it was worth.

Sometimes there were certain deals that he needed to make with individuals who had a less than savoury reputation! Caravans were often attacked as they travelled the wastes and as a result, sometimes the price of liquor supplies was higher than he was willing to pay. That's when dealing with these _individuals_ came in handy.

They didn't hoard or destroy the goods they took, they weren't raiders after all but they did need to offload the bulk of it looking to make a quick profit in the process and Colin Moriarty wasn't known for missing out on a business opportunity!

Still, there was a certain amount of risk in dealing with wasteland scum like that. Sure'n they were gutless, spineless thieves who thought nothing of robbing the dead or the living but a lot of them were also killers who'd rather take all o' your caps than what was agreed upon for the goods they were selling.

That's where Jericho came in.

The man was only a few drinks short of becoming an alcoholic but he had that raider thing going and was as sharp as he ever was. Though he was still as dangerous as a deathclaw with its bollocks caught in a bear trap, he was also looking to end his days in a safe warm bed rather than hanging his arse out in the wasteland just waiting for someone younger and faster to get the drop on him.

That was a weakness that could be exploited to its fullest.

Shortly after the Stahl incident, the nasty fucker had gotten himself very drunk in the Saloon and that's when Moriarty had struck. The look on Jericho's face as he'd told him that he knew everything that had happened with Stahl was priceless and it still managed to bring a grin to face even now. Of course, the old raider had reacted violently, lashing out with a blow that had he been sober, would have broken his jaw but Moriarty was more than used to dealing with angry drunks and had wrestled him to the ground.

Once his alcoholic rage had burned itself out and the man was more prepared to listen, Moriarty had suggested a trade. In order for his continuing silence over Jericho's little _indiscretion _ that could get him kicked out of Megaton for good, all he had to do was meet with the _opportunists_ who came a calling and settle up any problems that might arise…either with threats or violence, he didn't mind which.

Jericho had at first been too angry to speak, he wasn't a man who appreciated the finer points of blackmail, but soon he had come around to his way of thinking.

The first meeting had followed not long after that and Moriarty had been pleased to see the traders warily considering the newcomer and his arsenal of weapons. Sure'n if they didn't offer him the premium scotch they were selling at a substantially reduced price that day!

A second meeting followed and then a third and soon Jericho seemed to relax into his new role and on the odd occasion when some fucker thought they were tough enough to try and take him on, then a few broken limbs or a bullet to the gut ended their little acts of insurgence pretty quick.

Pretty soon, Jericho was coming back to him with little snippets of information that proved equally as beneficial to his pocket as the cut price booze and cigarettes that they were buying. Turns out that the wastelanders often heard about people who were, shall we say, _wanted_ by other interested parties...enough to pay out caps for any information that might be coming their way at any rate.

Didn't matter to Moriarty none whether it was a slaver from Paradise Falls, a mercenary from the Talon Group or even Alistair Tenpenny himself who was doing the asking. Caps were caps whoever they came from and with the amount of people who passed through his saloon on their travels, there was always someone who looked like they were trying to avoid trouble. God knows a few stiff drinks and a few kind words were often enough to put people at ease and once they relaxed, then often they spilled their guts without wondering just whom they were talking to.

Easy caps…like shooting fish in a barrel.

So it had continued like that for years now. Every now and then Jericho had to be reminded just who had a hold of his leash, but otherwise life had been just grand.

Then Shelley had walked back into his life and for the first time in more years than he cared to remember, Moriarty had known weakness.

From the moment the little vault girl had leaned back onto that bed o' hers with her eyes all heavy and her body ready and willing, he'd wanted to fill her up so much it made his balls ache just thinking about it. The way she clawed at him and screamed his name as she'd orgasmed had been something unique and something he'd never experienced with the whores he'd slept with. Sure'n they said they'd come with their quivering lips and slippery cunts but to be honest, he'd been more interested in his own needs than caring if the woman beneath him was having a good time or not.

But to feel _her_ body as she tensed around him, to smell her bitter musk on his fingers and taste the sweetness of her lips as she kissed him with more feeling than he was used to, had awoken something in him he never knew existed.

Now when he looked into those stony eyes of hers, he could have sworn he saw something that made him feel nervous, jealous, possessive even. He was developing an affection for her that bordered on the downright emotional and it made him feel uncomfortably vulnerable and more than a little afraid.

Not for himself, oh no.

He was old enough and smart enough to look out for himself, but when he'd seen Jericho sizing her up in the bar…a flare of anger and fear had made him want to protect her and keep her away from harm. It was stupid…the girl could handle herself no doubt, but the moment he realised that anyone who hurt her would be hurting himself, he knew that his enemies could make her a target and he'd be powerless to do a damned thing about it.

Jesus but the girl was easily young enough to be his daughter so just what the hell did she see in him anyway? An old saloonkeeper who kept the company of rapists, whores and ghouls and even then, they were the closest things to friends he had! It wasn't like he was young and in the prime of his life and could travel the wastes with her, fighting at her side.

Oh and yes, he could just imagine what James would say if she brought him home to meet him! That would be fucking priceless!

Better just to let her go now, before he got in too deep. Better not to think about the way he felt when she touched him and the way she'd haunted his dreams during the time she was scouring the Wasteland. Better not to remember the unfamiliar sense of contentment he'd felt when he held her tightly in his arms and felt her trembling against him.

Though…if it was better, why did it make him feel so fucking empty inside at the thought of never experiencing any of those things again.

"Jesus Christ, little girl…" Moriarty muttered to himself, swinging off the barstool. "Just what have you gone and done to me…?"

Hands that moved more slowly than normal scrabbled around the shelves as he searched for another bottle of whiskey. His hands fumbled ineffectively at the cheap screwtop as he sought to open it as quickly as possible and this time he didn't bother with the glass, but took a deep swig straight from the bottle itself.

Didn't taste as good as the first…

"Fuck…" Moriarty grimaced as he realised he'd taken a drink of the saloon's own brew.

Usually he saved that shit for the drifters and the folks who weren't willing to shell out for the good stuff and had taken to adding his own special ingredient to the mix. No one had ever died from drinking it, but knowing that it contained probably as much of his own piss as anything else nearly made him heave there and then.

He reached for the next bottle with a little more care and then carefully climbed back onto his bar stool and took an experimental sip. It burned as it crawled down the back of his throat and coiled into a ball of heat in his gut.

Yup, that was the good stuff alright.

"Colin…?" He turned his head slowly to see Nova creeping down the stairs wearing a short see-through pink negligee that did nothing to hide her curves. "Moriarty…is that you?"

"Who else would it be?" He answered sharply, annoyed that she was catching him unawares. "Last time I checked, it was me own name above the door."

"I'm sorry." Nova apologised quickly, probably picking up on his tone. "I was just getting some water."

"Don't let me stop you…just make sure you note it down so I can take it out of your wages."

She made as if to go through to the stockroom but then she paused, a curious look on her face.

"Colin honey, you look a little tense." She said softly, her dark pink nipples plainly visible against the sheer fabric. "You're not one for staying up late with a bottle. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing for you t'concern yourself with." He answered, his eyes drifting to the patch of curling red hair between her legs that peeped enticingly through the material. "Nothing a few more belts o' whiskey won't cure anyway."

Nova spotted his eyes travelling over her body and stepped in closer.

"You know, if you wanna…talk, I'm here." She pressed her leg against his thigh and trailed her fingers up and down his arm. "Or if you need something else…"

Whether it was the alcohol, the need to empty his balls or simply a yearning for a feminine touch, Moriarty thrust his hand beneath her negligee and stroked the wet heat of her core.

"Ah Nova, me darlin'." He sighed, his fingers pushing rudely between her lips into her slick pussy. "You always did know how to make a man feel better, y'know that?"

"Part of my job, hon." She sighed, rolling her hips onto his hand and reaching for his fly. "So what do you want tonight…you wanna fuck or just a little head?"

The cool night air bit into his semi-erect cock as she liberated it from his pants and he moaned aloud as she began to work him. His own fingers began to slide in and out of her body and she bit down on her lip wearing an expression he'd seen many times before…many, many times actually.

Ever the professional was Nova.

He didn't even realise he'd stopped her jerking him off until he looked down and saw his free hand grasping her slender wrist.

"I don't understand." She murmured, her pretty brows creasing as he slowly withdrew his fingers and wiped them on the leg of his pants. "I thought you wanted this. It usually helps you feel better…"

"Maybe I don't want to feel better." He retorted, forcing his aching dick back behind his zipper. "Maybe I just want to sit and get a little more drunk in the hope that it'll help me t'stop thinkin' about her…."

"Her?" Nova's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Who…oh my god…"

He could see the realisation dawning across her face even as his hand tightened painfully about her wrist. He stared at her a moment, caught between wanting to take back what he'd said and needing to ensure that the bitch would keep her mouth shut. She must have realised what he was thinking because her skin turned as pale as ash and she readied herself for the resounding slap that she assumed was to come.

"Go back t' bed, Nova." Moriarty breathed huskily, fighting down the urge to unleash his temper on the woman before him. "Go back t' bed and forget what I just said."

She simply stared at him for a few minutes with a confused look on her face and then she pulled out of his grasp.

"Gob wouldn't say why you beat him so bad." She whispered, disbelief stealing the strength from her voice. "I asked him if you'd hurt her, but he just wouldn't say a word."

"Just leave it, will you." For some reason, he couldn't look at her.

"But you weren't beating her, were you?" Angry tears glistened in Nova's great green eyes and she shivered. "Oh my god, Colin. What have you done?"

"Not what you're thinking!" He snarled, anger and outrage flushing his skin with heat. "Jesus, woman…I'm not an animal like Jericho! We wanted…that is, she wanted…"

He floundered as the still sober part of his brain hurried to censure the words that were spilling out of his mouth.

"Well, it doesn't matter now anyway." He panted, his anger abating quickly as he looked into Nova's questioning eyes. "Look, let's just say it's done with shall we, now please...go to bed."

He took another swig from the whiskey and let its intoxicating effects rob him of another piece of his consciousness, with any luck he'd pass out before too long.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nova cautiously making her way toward the foot of the stairs.

"Nova?"

She paused and looked at him warily. "Yes, Colin?"

"I meant what I said…you make sure t'be forgettin' what was said here tonight, you hear?"

"Don't worry Colin, I'm not telling anybody anything." A brief look of defiance crossed her pretty features. "Not for your sake…but for hers."

With that, she began to climb up the stairs back to her room.

It was only when her door closed that he realised she'd forgotten her water.

If only forgetting their conversation was just as easy…

* * *

It was hot, mercilessly so. After steadily climbing in the sky to reach its zenith at midday, the sun beat down without any sympathy for the citizens of Megaton in their rusty steel homes and forced them into what little shade they could find.

Shelley had long since abandoned being inside and sighed restlessly as she stretched out in the chair that she'd pulled into the shadow of her shack. Reaching for the lukewarm Nuka on the table next to her, she took a drink and tried to savour what little relief the warm swirling winds that blew around the town brought to her sweat soaked skin. Dogmeat slept heavily on the ground beside her, twitching and whimpering every now and then, probably chasing molerats in his dreams…or maybe even raiders!

Who knew what went on in that canine mind of his…

She'd woken up late that morning after spending most of the evening at Billy's house and for the first time in a while, she felt like she'd had a good time. It had certainly been a lot of fun and Billy _was_ right about one thing.

His mirelurk cakes were to die for…

They'd eaten and laughed together for pretty much the entire evening, making jokes about the other townsfolk, telling embarrassing stories about when they were kids and listening to some of the old recordings Billy kept around the place. Later on, the conversation had taken a more serious turn with Billy talking about his time as a caravan guard and the events leading up him finding Maggie and taking her in. He'd asked about Shelley's life in the vault and she'd been happy to tell him all about her father and the strange pseudo freedom she'd had in 101, but then he'd started to try and steer the conversation toward other things…

Other things like how attractive she was and how glad he was every time he saw her.

It was about then that she'd decided to call it a night.

There had been one more awkward moment when he'd insisted on walking her home and then tried to kiss her goodnight. The look on his face when she'd turned her cheek to him was enough to make her cringe inside and she frowned at the memory. It wasn't like she wanted to hurt him on purpose but her feelings just weren't in that place.

Not for him anyway.

Once she'd got to bed, she'd spent a little time tossing and turning before drifting off into a deep sleep that left her feeling a lot better than she had in a long time.

When she finally awoke she'd braided her long black hair, pulled on a sleeveless tee and a worn pair of jeans before pulling on her boots and the leather jacket that Butch DeLoria had given her when she left the vault. Next she armed herself with her sniper rifle, climbed the long ladder that led to Stockholm's lookout gantry and set down to do a morning's watch with the sharpshooter. He never said much, but there was a comfortable silence between them as they scanned the horizon watching for visitors, traders or trouble…whichever came first.

Aside from a dubious looking guy that Jericho apparently dealt with, there was little action to be had and so after sharing a couple of her Nuka's with the Hispanic watchman, she'd climbed down from his perch and made her way back home.

She did think about going back to the saloon to try and see Gob, but then _he_ would be there. After the events of yesterday, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to see Colin Moriarty again.

Yeah sure.

If he walked down from the gantry right now, she'd have fallen into his arms like nothing had happened. Her mind could tell her that he was bad news, a complete fuck and not the kind of guy she should be anywhere near…but her heart wasn't listening. Her heart longed to hear his charming voice, to touch his sun bronzed skin and to see that bearded leonine face of his.

Fucking organ must be defective…

So, she'd slipped off her jacket, grabbed a few more bottles of Nuka-Cola and decided to chill out…that is until the sun got high and decided to fry Megaton and everyone in it! Even Doc Church's brahmin bellowed in complaint!

Dogmeat gave a sudden yelp, momentarily startling her and jarring the Australian cattle dog from his slumber.

"Bad dreams, boy?" She murmured softly, affectionately slapping his flanks. "Don't worry, I got just what you need."

She disappeared back into the shack and when she reappeared, she was carrying bowl of water and a Salisbury steak _with gravy_ lovingly tipped out onto a cracked plate.

"Here you go fella…enjoy!"

Dogmeat barked his approval and wagged his tail as he went to work on the processed meat. Obviously his taste buds were a lot more forgiving than hers. With a happy smile, she sat back in her chair and pulled out a copy of the DC Journal of Medicine that she'd found on her travels. It wasn't exactly light reading, but it sure passed the time.

"Honey, you like that dog more than I like some people!"

"Hey Nova!" Shelley instantly dropped the journal and climbed to her feet, smiling at the older woman. "This your day off?"

"Yeah…Colin lets me have one once in a while." She answered with a thoughtful smile. "How about you? You're not doing anything today?"

"Just hanging." Shelley answered, waving her over. "C'mon, pull up a chair if you want. I got cola if you want it…not exactly cold though."

"Thanks, hon.." Nova dragged an old dinner chair to the table and sat down.

Even though there was only five or so years between them, Shelley always thought that Nova seemed so much older than her years. Not physically…god knows the redhead was strikingly beautiful in a sad kind of way, but in the way she seemed so much more world weary than someone of her age should be.

Guess that's what being a whore did to you.

Today though, when she was wearing a pretty green dress and a broad brimmed hat to block out the sun, she looked like the young woman that she really was and should have had the chance to be.

Fate was such a motherfucker sometimes.

"You left kinda suddenly, yesterday." She said in that sultry soft voice of hers. "I saw Jericho getting in your face too…is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Shelley realised that didn't sound as convincing as she'd hoped. "I wasn't t feeling too great to start with and then the old bastard just got me a little more riled, is all. You know what he can be like."

"All too well." Nova nodded in agreement and then looked at her curiously. "I did notice Colin jump in though. He seemed concerned about you."

"Well, yeah I suppose." Shelley avoided her eyes and tried to look casual. "Just looking out for his saloon probably…didn't want the two of us wrecking the joint."

"If you say so, hon."

Nova pulled off her hat and began fanning herself, watching Shelley intently. There was definitely something going on behind those knowing green eyes of hers and Shelley shifted uncomfortably in her seat before the sound of the town gate screeching open drew her attention.

Even though it was just a couple of travellers passing through, she was glad for the distraction. It gave her a chance to compose her thoughts.

"So…" Shelley mused, steering the conversation away from the subject of Colin Moriarty. "I was wondering…ah, how's Gob?"

"Bruised, but he'll be okay." Nova answered. "I think whatever it was that had pissed Colin off so much must have been pretty serious for him to beat up on the guy like that. He usually saves that kind of crap for after hours."

"I…I think it might have been my fault." Shelley sighed balling her hands into fists and digging her nails into her palms to prevent herself from crying. "I think I may have just gone and ruined one of the few genuine friendships I have in this town…"

"Gob doesn't blame you, not for that." Nova said softly. "He hasn't said anything either if that's what you're worried about, and believe me he won't."

"Said anything about what?" Shelley felt a surge of panic in her gut.

"You know what." Nova sighed, replacing her hat and pulling a cigarette from out of her dress pocket.

Shelley watched as she lit it with almost deliberate slowness, sending a coiling plume of smoke rising into the arid air. From beneath the brim of her hat, Nova's green eyes glittered brilliantly as she watched her for a reaction.

She knew…damnit, she knew.

"He told you, didn't he?" She whispered hoarsely.

"No hon, I…sort of found out by accident." Nova casually flicked her ash onto the ground and looked at her with disapproval. "So what is it…a one time thing? Payment for services rendered? One of his _deals_?"

Shelley felt her cheeks flushing as she remembered her first sexual encounter with Colin. It had been a deal, but a lot had changed since then and frankly, she was sick of lying about it. She needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't judge her, someone she trusted. She couldn't talk to Billy, not about that and there was no one else she could share stuff with…

Except for the woman in front of her.

Taking a deep breath she decided she needed to do this.

"It…was more like a business arrangement to start with." Shelley answered honestly, looking at the redhead directly and her chest pounding with apprehension. "When I first drifted into town looking for my father, he said he'd tell me where he went for one hundred caps. I didn't have that kind of money and it took me a while to raise it, but by then the price had gone up to three hundred…so that's when I made him an offer. I'd never been with a man before so…"

"Oh god, honey…you didn't?"

She looked away from Nova's sympathetic stare before she continued

"He was my first Nova, the only guy I ever slept with." Shelley felt her shoulders sag as she looked down at the table and picked at the crumbling paintwork. "He was kinda rough at first, thought I was just trying to trick him, but after he…realised I was telling the truth, it got a little intense and he was more gentle. I think it was then I started to…"

"Oh honey, please don't tell me you're falling for him?" Genuine alarm shone in Nova's bright eyes and she reached out to touch her hand. "As far as bosses go, there are worse out there but as a man…I'm just not sure he's worth it, kid."

"You warning me off?" Shelley knew that's not what she meant, but she had to ask.

"Not at all hon, but you need to know the truth about the man you're dealing with." Nova shook her head sadly and took another drag of her cigarette before continuing. "Look, I've been whoring for Colin since I was eighteen. I got into some serious trouble back then and had to borrow more caps than I could count just to get out of it. At the time, the only person with that kind of currency was Colin Moriarty and the only way I could pay him back was to use what god gave me to make a living."

She sat back in her chair and sighed heavily.

"After he'd _sampled my wares_ he said I'd make a damn good whore and offered me a roof over my head and a room at the saloon to do business in. Of course, he takes his share of my earnings and charges me for food and rent on top of that. Though, like I said the other night, if anyone gets too rough or thinks they can get way with more than they paid for, he takes care of things…keeps me safe, I guess."

She took another long drag and held the smoke a long time before she finally breathed it out.

"Doesn't mean he isn't a bastard though, a pure bred bastard. I might work for the guy and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't slept with him when he needed some company but I'd be real careful of forming any attachment to the guy, honey. He's bad news Shelley and you're way too good a person to get dragged into his world."

"You say that like I had a choice." Shelley muttered, her heart aching as she listened to Nova's words. "I didn't want to feel like this…not about him. I mean, fuck…I spent the evening with Billy Creel and he's one of the nicest, sweetest, sexiest guys I've ever met but there's just something missing. He's just not…just not…"

"He's just not Colin." Nova finished for her and nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, it's kind of a mute point now." Shelley snapped, more harshly than she'd intended. "Outside the saloon yesterday, he told me he was done with me. Just like that…so I guess it doesn't matter what I feel."

Nova swirled the last of her cola round the bottom of the bottle and frowned. "And you're happy with that?"

"No…no I'm not." Shelley chewed her lip and looked out over the town. "Everything says I should be…but I can't help it, Nova. It hurts…hurts like hell."

With a clatter, Nova slide back her chair and rose to her feet. She walked slowly to the balcony and stopped, turning to face Shelley with a contemplative look on her face.

"I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but I guess I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't." Her eyes were full of sympathetic understanding and heartfelt compassion. "Last night after closing, Colin stayed in the bar and got drunk."

Shelley frowned slightly in puzzlement. "Isn't that what normally happens in saloons?"

"No, you don't understand." Nova took a deep breath before continuing. "Colin never gets _that_ drunk, in fact I don't think I've _ever_ seen him that drunk, yet last night he was gulping down whiskey like it was going out of fashion. Thing is, he was…well, he was thinking about you, hon. I don't think it's over…not by a long shot."

Shelley's eyes widened in surprise and she felt a lump forming in her throat. "How do you know that?"

"See that's the thing with whores, kid." She replied with a knowing smile. "To some men they're just a piece of pussy, to others they're the company they crave and to the very rare few, they're the confessor for their hearts desire."

"Nova?" Shelley felt a whirlwind of confusion tearing through her mind. "What should I do?"

"Hell if I know, honey." The whore answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "I only know you deserve to know the truth. What you do with it…that's up to you. Thanks for the cola and just take care of yourself, okay?"

With a final melancholy smile, Nova stepped daintily across the walkway toward the ramp leading down to ground level. Shelley simply sat for a few moments, listening to the tapping of her shoes as they beat out the steady rhythm of her retreat before she got up from her own chair and walked stiffly into the privacy of her shack.

The darkness was welcoming and she didn't bother to put on the lights, choosing instead to flop into the old armchair in the corner. Her pip boy rested on the low table in the centre of the room and she slipped it on before opening up her map data and staring blindly at the locations shown on the vivid green display.

Rivet City pulsed insistently.

Three Dog had said that was her father's last known heading and she studied the image of the old Aircraft Carrier working out the distance between there and Megaton. She'd need a fair amount of provisions and enough weaponry to see her safely across the wastes, but the journey wasn't impossible, just difficult.

It was a long trip though, long enough to take her away from all of this for a while anyway.

The silence began to gnaw at her nerves and she quickly tuned her pip boy into GNR

_I say I'll go through fire  
And I'll go through fire  
As he wants It, so it will be_

_Crazy he calls me.  
Sure, I'm crazy  
Crazy in love you see_

The soulful singing voice of the melancholy woman seemed to pluck the very thoughts out of her head.

_Like the wind that shakes the bough  
He moves me with a smile  
The difficult I'll do right now  
The impossible will take a little while_

_I say I'll care forever  
And I mean forever  
If I have to hold up the sky  
Crazy he calls me  
Sure, I'm crazy  
Crazy in love am I_

The pip boy blinked off as Shelley suddenly hurled it at her weapons locker. Though the sturdy little machine would no doubt be relatively undamaged, she wasn't so sure that the words of the song and Nova's advice would have the same effect on her heart.

The reality of the situation was, she couldn't leave yet…not with things as they were.

As she finally gave in to the tears of pain and frustration that had been steadily building up since her return, Shelly was sure of only one thing.

She needed to know the truth.

She had to know if Moriarty cared for her as much as she cared for him…


	7. The Heat

THE HEAT

The dry heat of the day had been transformed into cloying humidity by the onset of evening.

Even though she'd bathed, Shelley's skin still shimmered with a thin film of sweat and the dirty white tank she was wearing was slicked to her back. She hadn't bothered with a jacket, leaving her arms bare so that she could at least try and take advantage of what little breeze there was and she'd thrown on a pair of shorts that she'd cut from a ragged pair of combat pants she'd found. The heavy, buckled army boots didn't exactly go with the outfit, but it wasn't like she had a matching wardrobe to start with.

Co-ordinating the clothes and armour she'd scavenged wasn't exactly a priority…

A thick leather belt rode across her broad hips and her 10mm pistol rested comfortably in the attached holster.

Just let Jericho get in her face tonight and she'd blow his fucking head off!

Okay, she probably wouldn't but a girl can dream….

Last thing she'd done before leaving the house was to re-braid her long black hair. It had still been wet at the time and now the dampness of it helped to cool her scalp a little.

She quickly made her way to ground level to avoid walking past Billy's door. She still didn't really know what to say to the guy without hurting him and that was another matter she needed to deal with before she left.

One thing at a time though…

She noticed that the Brass Lantern was all closed up for the evening and that there weren't many people kicking around. On the one hand, they could all be tucked up in their homes, sweating it out in the rusty metal dwellings but the probability was that they were in Moriarty's Saloon putting enough caps over the bar to keep the old man happy for a while.

God knows there wasn't much else to do in Megaton of an evening other than visiting the Church of the Atom and listening to Confessor Cromwell spouting his crap to the faithful!

Frankly, she'd rather wrestle a radscorpion!

She ascended the ramp leading to the Craterside Supply and from there, hung a left to climb up to the balcony that ran around the saloon. The muted sounds of laughter and chitchat that came from the interior told her that it was indeed quite busy this evening and she frowned slightly. She really needed to talk to Colin and by hanging round until closing time, it would be plain enough to see that she wasn't just there for the atmosphere.

Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, she started toward the saloon door.

"Evening Shelley." Lucas Simms' mellow baritone floated across the landing as he approached from the opposite direction. "Can I talk to you for second?"

"Sure…" She answered, smiling warmly at the dark skinned Sheriff. "What's up?"

"Well…" He answered conversationally, watching her closely from beneath the brim of his old-fashioned cowboy hat. "It seems that Billy Creel was injured the other night. You wouldn't know anything about that, I assume?"

"Should I?" Shelley felt her smile slip a fraction as she looked into Simms' deep brown eyes.

The tall Sheriff sighed and then stroked his thick black beard as he contemplated her reaction. "It's just that I was talking to the Doc…seems you were the one that brought him into the clinic. I just figured you'd know what happened."

"I did bring him in, that's true." She agreed, shrugging her shoulders. "But truth is, I found him in the street with his head all busted open. I really don't know what happened before that."

"Really?" Simms was unconvinced. "See, there's been a few things lately that have gone down in the saloon that bother me and you seemed to be involved with all of them. First I hear that Billy Creel has gone and got himself busted up in a bar brawl and from what I gather you two are pretty tight. Then a day later I hear that you yourself had a run in with Jericho over God knows what and then after that, you were seen right here having an argument with Colin Moriarty. You on some kind of personal crusade, kid?"

"Not that I know of." Shelley stared at the lawman and folded her arms defensively across her chest. "Look, Jericho was just drunk and mouthing off as usual and if you really want to know what happened to Billy, just ask him. As for arguing with Colin…that's actually none of your damn business!"

"It's my business if it's gonna bring trouble to my town." Simms snorted and shook his head. "You may be top dog in the wasteland, kid…hell I even admire you for what you're trying to do out there, but in here I got to keep order otherwise this place could tear itself apart."

"Listen to me, Sheriff." Shelley stated flatly, her mouth hardening to a thin line. "Megaton is my home too. Believe me, I'm not looking for any trouble."

"And yet, it does seem to come your way don't it?" Simms sighed and tipped his hat back on his head. "Look kid, you diffused that damn bomb in the centre of town and for that alone you'll always have my respect…but if you're protecting someone here, Jericho, Moriarty…either of those assholes, then you're playing for the wrong side!"

"While I appreciate what you're saying, I can take care of myself." Shelley replied, looking the tall Sheriff straight in the eyes and drawing herself up to her full height. "Now if you don't mind, I was on my way to get a drink…"

Wearing a carefully neutral expression, she pushed past the lawman and crossed the balcony to the saloon.

"Shelley!" Simms' commanding voice made her halt again. "For the record, not many folks I know need a pistol in their belts to enjoy a drink and if it was Jericho that beat up on Creel, I won't be taking too kindly to you playing vigilante in there."

"I'll bear that in mind." Shelley nodded grimly then pulled open the saloon door. "Good night, Sheriff."

"Night, kid."

With a tip of his hat, Simms resumed his nightly patrol around the town but the sound of his footsteps was lost in the cacophony of noise that assaulted Shelley's senses when she entered the bar.

Moriarty's was full this evening and the heat inside was just as bad as it was outside, only outside it was a damn sight less smoky!

Nearly all of the customers that packed the bar were locals, mostly crowded around tables nursing their drinks though a few were on their feet, dancing to the cheerful song that was playing over the radio. Even old man Nathan Vargas sat tapping his hand on the bar in good time to the upbeat jazz number!

Lucy West was chatting animatedly to Moira Brown and smiled warmly as Shelley's gaze swept over the crowd. She returned the smile and continued to look around, spotting Jericho lurking in his usual spot in the side room and Leo Stahl sat hunched over a table like he was in pain…probably in withdrawal!

Not who she was looking for however…

As she pushed her way to the bar, Shelley spotted Gob rushing about trying to serve and collect glasses at the same time. Seeing an opportunity to try and talk to him, she bustled around a few of the tables herself and gathered up all the empties she could carry before making her way over.

"Hey Gob…where do you want these?"

The ghoul looked up in surprise as she nestled the glassware safely in her arms.

"Shelley! Ah…here…please!" He gestured to a shelf behind the bar and his thin-lipped mouth cracked into a hesitant and embarrassed smile. "It's…um…it's real good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Gob." Shelley answered, carefully setting the stacks down on the uneven surface. "How are you?"

"I'm good…" He rasped, pouring a round of drinks before tipping a bunch of caps into the cash register. "Better than I was anyway. It's always the same. Moriarty gets nasty, I get my ass kicked…but I'm getting used to it now."

"I'm sorry…" Shelley began, but the ghoul shook his head.

"Wasn't your fault." He said as softly as he could. "He's always been the same, you just gave him a different reason this time is all. It'll be different again, next time."

"I could speak to him, try and prevent a _next time_?" She suggested, desperate to do something to help.

"Don't waste your breath, vaultie." Gob sighed, his milky eyes rolling. "He is who he is and he ain't ever gonna change. That's why I can't understand why someone as nice as you would do _that…_with him…"

"I'm not sure I understand it either." Shame made her look awkwardly at her feet. "Listen, Gob…I just wanted you to know, I never meant for any of this to…"

"Just stop would ya?" Gob interrupted her, laying his ruined hand on her shoulder. "You know, I was kinda mad at you at first…felt like you'd let me down bad but like I said, what _he_ does…it really isn't your fault. Whatever happens, I'm still your friend…even if I think you're crazy."

"That means a lot to me, Gob." Shelley felt her eyes welling with tears at the genuine look of concern on the skinless face of the ghoul and she swallowed hard. "Look, I know you're gonna hate me for asking this but where…?"

"He's out back, in his office on a break." Gob answered quickly, his eyes flicking toward the doorway. "Just…be careful, huh? I ain't about to come rushing in to save you this time."

Shelley silently acknowledged his warning with a nod of her head and moved behind the bar and into the storeroom beyond. The connecting door was closed for a change and she took a deep steadying breath before knocking loudly on its metallic surface.

* * *

"For fuck's sake…what is it now?" Moriarty scowled darkly as he set down the bottle and turned to face whoever it was that thought bothering him on a break was so fucking important!

However, his breath caught in his throat as Shelley walked in the door.

"Colin…we need to talk."

Fuck…she looked incredible.

That tight white tank of hers just clung to her full breasts perfectly enough to be able to make out the bumps of her nipples and the khaki shorts she had on emphasised the long lean muscles in her powerful thighs. She had her hair pulled back out of the way and her pale skin glistened with a sweet sheen of sweat that seemed only to enhance the curve of her cheekbones and the dark fullness of her lips.

Her eyes though…her eyes were the colour of granite and twice as hard.

Jesus, but there was strength in this girl and he felt his chest swelling with pride that she'd come looking for him when there were plainly other younger, more eligible men in the town who would die just to get one sniff of her.

Men who were probably better for her than he was…

"Well, look who's come crawlin' back into me saloon." He drawled, looking her up and down with a lascivious grin on his face. "So what do you want to talk about this evening, little girl? Price of booze? Employee's rights? Where your dear old daddy has gone chasin' off to now?"

"You can cut the indifferent shit, Colin 'cos it isn't working this time." She spoke with a certain tone in her voice that made his grin falter. "I want to talk about us."

"Us…I'm sorry, but there is an us now?" He shook his head and reached once more for the bottle beside him. "And here was I thinkin' we'd settled that account already."

"What's the matter, old man?" She was watching him intently. "Can't answer my question without liquor in your belly?"

He froze with the bottle halfway to his lips.

"And what question would that be…?" He already knew and God help him if he didn't dread and desire to hear it from her own lips.

"You said once that you wanted me…wanted to be with me." Her eyes seemed to bore into his soul, what was left of it. "Is that still true?"

"I'd just been through that virgin cunt o' yours, little girl." He felt the weight of her question like a blow to gut but for now, he was able to roll with the punch. "I just said that hopin' I'd get a second go before someone else came along."

"So the other day, when I heard you say you missed me?"

"Again, I was up to me nuts in your pussy, darlin'." He grinned coldly. "A man'll say anythin' when he's got something sweet and tight wrapped round his dick."

There…a flicker of emotion that crossed her face and signalled that she was starting to doubt herself and believe his words.

It hurt more than he expected, but it was for her own good.

"And when you held me?" Her voice definitely wasn't as strong as before. "When you kissed me and told me you'd been waiting…?"

Her eyes were glistening wetly and it nearly robbed him of his resolve. How the fuck had she gotten under his skin like this…?

"Sure'n I was leavin' me options open." A belt of whiskey washed away the hard lump forming in his throat. "I'm a businessman, little girl. I don't like to close a deal until I've gotten everythin' I can out of it"

She stared at him, the colour draining from her face as her lip began to tremble.

"Don't get me wrong…" Just twist the knife Colin…twist it, and she'll walk away once and for all. "You were very nice 'n all but after that first time…you sorta lost your appeal, y'get me?"

The slap almost knocked him off his feet and caused him to drop the bottle. It also brought forth such a rush of anger that his own hand flew to her face a second later. She stumbled but she didn't fall like he'd expected. In fact she simply looked at him with her cheek burning red and her eyes full of accusation.

Why didn't she just fuckin' go?

What more did she want from him?

To see her stood there with those proud eyes full of un-spilled tears, that heartbroken look on her face and his own handprint standin' out so vividly on her soft white skin…fuck…

It made him feel sick to his stomach…

"And to think…I really thought you cared." Her voice was little more than a whisper and the words ate into him like a cancer. "But that's not the worst thing…"

"There's more? Do tell…" Blood thundered round his body and he was sure he was shaking.

"I can't believe I actually fell in love with you."

Moriarty staggered as that particular bullet ricocheted around his skull and smashed through the last of his defences before tearing into his heart.

She didn't just say that, she couldn't have.

It wasn't possible for someone like her to feel like that about someone like him…

"Damn you, Colin Moriarty…damn you to hell!"

Shelley turned suddenly, lunging for the door almost quicker than he could react but he surprised himself with the speed at which he threw his weight against her and pinned to the wall.

"Wait…stop….Jesus fuckin' Christ, would you fuckin' stop! Just listen to me…fuck…!"

She thrashed against him as the tears finally began to fall and the raw emotion she'd held in check was now channelled into her struggle as she lashed out with her fists and kicked hard with those long, powerful legs of hers. She was like an animal, possessed of a strength he'd never expected, but if he let her walk out now he'd never see her again and suddenly that what just about the worst thing he could imagine happening to his miserable life.

Years of single-minded selfish devotion to the betterment of Colin Moriarty seemed to suddenly pale into insignificance when compared to spending just one more moment with the beautiful girl that battled so hard in his arms. God knows, he had to fight equally hard to restrain her, to keep her there long enough to tell her he was wrong, he'd been a fool…that…that…

Jesus Christ…

That was why it hurt.

It was wrong for so many reasons, but God help him…might just be that he loved her too.

"Shelley…please don't go!" Moriarty's voice was thick with emotion as he risked leaning his face toward hers. "Shelley…stop this…"

He placed a kiss on her damp forehead and trapped her arms by her side in an embrace that threatened to squeeze the life out of her unless she stopped struggling.

"I didn't mean any of it, I swear. I was tryin' to make you leave…"

He kissed away the tears from her eyelids and felt an unfamiliar heat burning in the corners of his own cold blue eyes. God knows, no tears had rolled down his cheeks since the day his da passed away and he sure as shit wasn't about to let it happen now…

"Hate me, loathe me, despise me if'n that's what you want." He whispered hoarsely. "But just hear me out, I have to talk t' you. Shelley…please don't go… "

He continued to speak to her like he was soothing a dangerous animal as she bucked and twisted in his grip. He showered her face with kisses and pressed himself tightly against her, wanting her to feel the pounding of his heart and needing her to know that he cared…oh fuck, did he care!

His strong hands gripped her upper arms as Moriarty shoved her roughly against the wall, willing to risk the snapping danger presented by her angry mouth. Snatched kisses paved the way for a deeper exploration by his tongue as he breathed in her rage and her hurt and swallowed it into himself, drinking it down greedily to fill the hole she'd burned into him with her words.

Whether it was exhaustion or his insistent attention that made her unexpectedly relax he couldn't be sure, but it was as if the world had suddenly slowed and all there was right now was the soft wetness of her lips as they parted to allow her tongue to clash with his. He risked loosening his grip and cupped her beautiful face, thumbs brushing her cheeks as he sought to clear away the moist evidence of the pain he'd caused her.

Her own hands snaked around his neck, drawing him down deeper and deeper into the dark well of her emotion as she devoured his kisses, her body shuddering pleasantly against his and making his dormant member stir restlessly within the confines of his pants.

When they finally came up for air, it felt like they had been drowning and they gasped and panted as each held onto the other as if trying to find the calm in a radstorm.

"Shelly…" He murmured into her hair, gathering his thoughts as he stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry , little girl. I just…it's just it's so difficult for me to explain…"

"You better try, old man."

Though she allowed herself to rest in his embrace, the strength was back in her voice and Moriarty knew if he wasn't straight with her now, there wouldn't be a second chance. Sighing heavily, he pushed away from the comfort of her body and turned his back to her, trusting that she wouldn't just leave him without hearing the truth.

"You must know…I never wanted this." He didn't say it to hurt her…it was a simple statement of fact. "When I first saw you, all I could think was that you were deadmeat walkin' the wasteland with a fine ass with a juicy pair o' tits…just another vaultie who'd be gone within the week."

He leaned against the wall and reached down for the fallen bottle of whiskey, the last of its amber contents sloshing back and forth as he raised it to his lips and drank deeply.

"Then you asked about James and I wondered to meself, you might have some o' your father's fight in you after all. He was never one to give up on somethin' too…the pair o' you are stubborn bastards."

She offered him a slight smile as he passed her the bottle and he watched with interest as she took a drink.

"Anyway, where you saw a chance to find out where he went, I saw a chance to get you into me bed and then you had to go and sweeten the deal by telling me I was your first." Moriarty shook his head as he remembered the clumsy thrust that had made her cry out as he'd buried himself in her untouched core. "Joke was on me though wasn't it? I never expected to find meself fallin' for you and then when you ran off back to the wasteland lookin' for daddy…I figured you were never comin' back."

He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Here he was…a fifty year old man talking to a nineteen year old girl about his feelin's !

Sure'n the world had a twisted sense of humour…

"But I did come back." Shelley took a step forward as she passed him back the bottle, but then she frowned. "I came back, you fucked me right here and then you told me it was all over! So what is it? Are we together or not?"

"Jesus, little girl! It's not that simple." With a frustrated sigh he drained the last of the whiskey. "You don't know who you're dealin' with here! A man in my line of work makes lots o' enemies and if they found out I'd got meself a woman, it'd make you a target! Can't you see…they'd use you to get t' me and if that happened, I don't know if I could live with meself…"

"What…and you think I'm some pathetic little girl who can't handle a little heat?" She crossed the room in two swift steps and grabbed the collar of his heavy leather jerkin. "You say I don't know who you are…fuck… you don't know me half as well as you think you do! None of the people in this town do!"

Her voice had risen angrily and she shook in his arms as she looked at him with eyes that were begging for understanding.

"The guys out there look at me like I'm Saint Fucking Shelley! Saviour of the Wastes, Protector of the Innocent, Scourge of the Super Mutants and all that shit! They don't have a fucking clue just what I've done to survive out there, how many people I've killed, how many corpses I've looted or even how much satisfaction I get when I see a raider's fucking head come apart in the scope of my rifle because I've made a fucking good shot! You think those are the actions of a saint, because I don't and you know what…I don't wanna be a saint! I want something real, something more tangible than a meaningless title that makes people think I'm some sort of hero on a pedestal 'cos the real problem I have with that is that it's a long way to fucking fall!"

"I don't think you're a saint." Moriarty breathed, aware that she'd once more drawn in close to him and was pressing her hips against his. "I think you're a fucked up young girl whose probably seen a little too much death since she left the vault…"

"Don't do that." She growled, her brows creasing. "Don't fucking patronise me…not you. I know I have a dark side and I accept it and I know that you are one mean nasty motherfucker who probably deserves to get his ass handed to him once in a while, but you know what…I don't care. I want to be part of your life Colin Moriarty and I don't care how dirty it is or how deep into it I fall, I'm willing to risk it."

He felt her teeth nipping at the skin of his throat as she nibbled her way to his ear.

"Question is…" Her hot breath sent shivers down his spine. "Are you?"

He couldn't stand it anymore.

Moriarty snarled as he grabbed the back of her head and yanked her lips onto his. His teeth caught her swollen flesh, eliciting a soft whimper as her blood spilled into his mouth and with his other hand, he reached around her hips to dig his fingers into the yielding softness of her arse.

For her part, she reached beneath his jerkin and tee, grabbing at the thick white hair that covered his chest while she ground against his hardening cock, thrusting with a rhythm that almost sent him over the edge there and then.

"Does that answer your question?" He snarled, snatching his head back and staring into eyes that now burned brightly with desire. "Just remember you're mine Shelley, mine and no one else's."

God, he wanted to be inside her so badly. The timing, however was something else entirely…

"But I still have a saloon to run and it's a busy night." He heard the disappointment in his own voice and saw it reflected in her face before the idea crossed his mind. "So…how's about I get Gob to close up later and I come back to yours, just like we planned a while back only this time, I'll be there no matter what?"

He groaned as she kissed him again and stroked the length of his shaft through the fabric of his pants.

"Come to think of it…he can open up in the mornin' for me too. I could do with a day off in the arms of me beautiful girl" A fierce grin broke out across his face. "Besides, my balls are aching so much, I have a feelin' that it might take me a fair bit o' time before I'm satisfied."

"You bragging again, old man?" She cocked her eyebrow just enough to make her look invitingly mischievous.

"Just warnin' you, little girl…just warnin' you…"

Sure'n it was another ten minutes before Moriarty finally made it back into the saloon.

* * *

"Hey Moriarty, c'mere a second would ya?"

Jericho grinned at the cocky son of a bitch feeling pretty fuckin pleased with himself. The amount of whiskey in his system already had him buzzing but this was just an extra kick!

"Jericho old friend…" The Irishman replied pulling up a chair and leaning on its back as he straddled the seat. "Now what is it I can be doin' for you?"

"Don't look so worried." Jericho sneered, filling two shot glasses and passing one to the white haired saloonkeeper. "See, I just got me a piece of intel that could bring us in a serious amount of fucking caps and rid us of a pain in both our asses…ya interested?"

Moriarty looked at the whiskey like he was trying to poison him or something. Dumb bastard…it was his fucking liquor after all.

"And just where did this _intel_ come from?" His ice blue eyes radiated cold suspicion.

"Look pal, you never worried about it before so what the fuck does it matter?" Jericho leaned back in his chair and licked his lips. "Let's just say the guy holding the caps is good for it. All we gotta do is…well, first I need to know if you're interested?"

"How many caps we talkin' about?"

"A thousand!" Jericho laughed as the familiar light of avarice lit up the old man's face. "Eighty-twenty split…you in?"

"Fifty-fifty." Moriarty bit back quickly

"Fuck that! I'll be the one getting my hands dirty!" The ex-raider leaned back in his chair and stared intently at the saloonkeeper. "Seventy-thirty."

He could see the pain on the old bastard's face as he contemplated the offer, but Jericho had never known the guy to turn down caps.

His confidence was not misplaced.

"So what are we talkin' about here?" The Irishman drained his glass and set it before Jericho as he always did when they made a deal like this.

"It's a contract." The ex-raider said quietly and reached inside his jacket. "Check this out."

Avarice burned brightly in the fucker's eyes as he took the paper. He'd be seeing nothing but the caps now!

"I got it off a merc…he asked if we'd seen her lately." Jericho filled the glasses again and grinned. "Fuck…dumb bastard didn't know how fucking close he was!"

This would be easy money…

"You told anyone else about this?" Moriarty's tone was a little cool. Jericho hoped he wasn't thinking of doing the deed himself and claiming all the caps.

"Nah…I thought I'd keep it between you and me." He fingered his pistol suggestively. "You keep her talking in here after closing…then when no one's around, I gut the little bitch! One thousand caps and one less fucking paragon of virtue stinking up the place with her self-righteous ass! Whaddya say?"

"No."

Jericho almost reeled with shock. He wasn't expecting that…

"Are you fucking nuts?" He whispered hoarsely in disbelief. "I thought you wanted Shelley outta Megaton?"

"Leave the girl alone, Jericho." There was an edge in Moriarty's voice that made him pause. "She's not worth the caps, believe me. Sure'n she puts enough back into this town to warrant keeping her alive anyhow."

"Don't tell me _you're_ buying into her fucking hero shit!" Jericho spat, his temper starting to flare. "She's just a motherfucking piece of ass who got ideas above her station…"

"And she'll be stayin' that way, if you know what's good for you." Moriarty climbed slowly to his feet and looked at him like he was the shit on his boot heel. "If'n I hear any different, the first place I'll be pointin' me finger is at you and remember, one word from me to Simms or to that dopey fuckin' Stahl girl and her brothers and you're out. Old men like us…we wouldn't last long out there and it'd be such a shame to see you go."

The Irishman smiled dangerously as he backed away from the table.

"Like I said, just forget it, old friend…if'n you know what's good for you."

Jericho was stunned.

Actually he was way past stunned…more like he was fucking amazed! Colin Moriarty turning down caps over pussy? What the fuck?

Angrily, he shook his head and poured himself another thumb of liquor before swallowing it quickly, repeating the action and then finally just drinking straight from the bottle.

Just what the fuck was it about the vaultie that made people think she was Jesus fucking Christ? It's not like she was anything other than a fucking stone cold killer! Jericho had seen that in her eyes the moment she got in his face. Yeah, she was all sweetness and light to the dumb fucks in this town, but he'd seen into her soul and recognised the blackness as a pale mirror of his own murderous inclinations.

Little Miss 101 wasn't nothing special…although looking at her, she was probably worth a fuck.

She'd drifted into view as Jericho scratched at his crotch.

For a saint, she sure looked like a whore with her big fat titties barely covered up and her ass hanging outta her shorts like she was inviting it.

Fuck…perhaps she was…

He sat for a while, finishing the bottle and letting the alcohol try to wash away his racing thoughts. Being drunk was the only fucking pleasure he had left in this shit-hole, 'cept for screwing Nova and that bitch had a night off!

Damn, the vaultie sure looked good right now…

Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the whiskey or maybe it was the fact he felt like he should get something outta this, but Jericho found himself swaying unsteadily on his feet as he approached her at the bar.

"Hey Vaultie…you looking for me?" He leered at her as she slowly turned her head.

"Should I be?" That fucking imperious tone in her voice, like she was something special!

"I never did buy you that drink." Jericho signalled to the zombie fuck behind that bar. "Just…keeping my word."

"Well thanks, but I'm good." She shook her head and avoided his gaze.

"You're good…that's a fucking joke, right there." Jericho snorted as Gob placed down a fresh bottle and looked anxiously at the vaultie. "Hey, you, ghoul! Keep your fucking eyes off the smoothskin. She don't want the likes of you."

"How about you back off, Jericho?" The way she said his name was like she was pissing in his mouth. "Just go sit down, huh?"

"If you'll join me?" Jericho let his eyes rove appreciatively over her titties, all round, bouncy and covered with sweat. "You know, I even have a place for you…you can sit right on my face."

"Oh you're funny." Shelley sneered with _that_ look in on her face. "How about you fuck off and die somewhere?"

"Be honest, you wouldn't like that." Jericho replied, leaning in close enough to smell her skin. "You'd rather do it yourself, wouldn't ya vaultie?"

She glared at him with venom in her eyes.

"Oh yeah…there ya are." Jericho grinned as the mask of her fucking sainthood slipped to reveal the killer beneath. "Now that's my kinda girl! Mean, nasty and ready to fuck me up, least I hope so anyways…"

"Jericho, I'm warning you…"

"Last person to try that shit was Creel." Jericho grinned form ear to ear. "Didn't work out well for him!"

"Yeah, about that…"

Jericho's world exploded into pain as the vaultie's booted foot connected squarely with his balls. A knot the size of mutants head formed in his gut and he fought hard not to spill the contents onto the floor in a pool of shit and vomit.

"Fucking bitch!"

The saloon erupted into chaos as he reached for her, making a grab for her waist but Shelley was quick. Her fist came up from nowhere, catching him on the jaw with an uppercut that almost took his head clean off but she wasn't as strong as he was and years of experience kicked in as he shook his head to clear the stars.

Lashing out with his foot, Jericho sent the little cunt crashing to the floor where he was able to deliver a powerful kick to her midriff. She instinctively curled into a ball, trying to protect her body and roll out of his way as he lunged for her.

"Not so fucking clever now are ya?" Jericho's temper was up and the only way to vent it was on the gal in front of him.

He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to her feet, mindless of the threats and panicked cries of the other patrons. Pulling back his fist, he prepared to deliver a punch that would knock her out cold, but the vaultie twisted in his grip. She may have lost a chunk of hair, but his fist connected with the side of her head rather than her face and she snarled like a yao-guai.

Shelley's leg came up in a sweeping kick that caught him in the ribs and he felt the agonising breathlessness that only comes when bones are broken but thank fuck she was swaying, falling backwards…

Back into the clutches of Colin Moriarty.

Maybe this was going down after all.

"Just hold her still while I teach this bitch a lesson, would ya?" The ex-raider spat vivid red blood onto the floor. "I'll show her to mess with me…"

It wasn't until the shot was fired over his head that he realised the Irish fuck was pointing a gun at him!

"Leave her alone, Jericho." Moriarty's voice was steady and his face was creased into a deep scowl. "Leave her alone and get out of me saloon."

"Fuck that! Bitch hit me first!" Jericho protested, wheezing as his damaged ribs contracted painfully. "Fucking little whore kicked me in the nuts for fuck's sake! Everyone saw it…you all saw it! Gob, tell him! You saw her, right?"

"You better leave now, Jericho." Even the fucking ghoul had a shotgun in his hands! "You know how Mister Moriarty hates to have any trouble here."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Jericho wanted to tear them all apart, to show them just what a fucking raider could do to a bunch of weak pathetic assholes like these, but there was something about the way Moriarty's finger hovered over the trigger that told him if he even breathed wrong right now, his brains would be spread all over the back wall in a heartbeat.

"You seriously telling me, you'd turn down a thousand caps for _that_?" He glared at the vaultie as she started to come round in the Irishman's arms. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is going on in here!" Lucas Simms burst through the saloon door, weapon drawn and accompanied by Nathan Vargas.

Fucking Great!

Wouldn't you know it…the old bastard had gone and brought the law!

"There's nothin' goin' on here Sheriff, not now." Moriarty answered, his eyes never leaving Jericho's face. "There does seem to have been a slight…misunderstandin' between the man here and the lady, but it's over now…isn't that right Jericho?"

"Ah…yeah." He agreed reluctantly. Moriarty was bailing him out again and he had the feeling it was really gonna cost this time. "Just a misunderstanding."

"Actually, he was just on his way out." Moriarty grinned dangerously nodding in his direction. "Now you're here Sheriff, maybe you can help to see that he gets home safely. He's had a little too much t'drink, you understand…"

"I understand there's a damn sight more going on here than I'm being told!" Simms growled, his dark eyes flicking from one man to the other then settling on the semi-conscious vaultie. "Looks like Shelley's taken quite a hit there…Shelley, Shelley you okay?"

The little bitch nodded feebly and clung to Moriarty like a hooker waiting to be paid.

"Colin didn't do anything, Sheriff." Nathan interjected from behind the tall lawman. "It was that there hoodlum, Jericho! Went for our little hero like an animal he did! Very un-American I'd say, beating on a lady like that! Wouldn't have happened in an Enclave establishment!"

"Really?" Simms' eyes flashed underneath the brim of his hat but crazy as he was, Nathan wasn't about to lie. "So that's it? Just another bar fight on another night that Jericho and Shelley happen to be in here and it's all a _misunderstanding_? You always use a gun to sort out these kinda disputes, Moriarty?"

"Like I said, Sheriff. Whiskey was flowin' a little too freely and the blood was boilin' in this heat." The Irishman finally lowered his gun. However, I'd be grateful if'n you could escort the gentleman outta me saloon. Besides, you know how I feel about displayin' that badge inside o' here! It's not good for business."

The fucker sure knew how to keep his cool, Jericho had to give him that.

"Simple as that huh?" No way was Simms buying the bullshit, but he nodded toward the door anyway. "Well then, I guess it's time to leave, huh Jericho? After you…"

"I'm going, I'm going."

Jericho offered the lawman a defiant grin as he passed him and felt the bite of the night air as it finally started to cool. It also started to fuck with the alcohol swirling around in his head making him feel light headed and tired, but there was no way he was about to pass out in the street. As he got the door of his ramshackle house, Jericho fumbled a while with the key before finally opening the door and falling onto the couch in a stupor.

A sharp pain as he tried to breathe reminded him he probably should get those ribs checked out but fuck it…the alcohol was keeping the edge off anyways. Besides no matter how bad he felt tonight, the hangover he was sure to have in the morning was gonna hurt a whole lot worse…

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but I've just changed jobs and my mind has been all over the place!**

**If it seems a bit disjointed, then I apologise but I had a lot I wanted to get through here and I ended up re-writing the damn thing about three times playing with the character POV's! **

**Anyway I hope it reads a whole lot easier than it was to write and as ever, thanks for reading!**

**Gixx.**


	8. The Truth Can Hurt

THE TRUTH CAN HURT

"Are you sure'n you're okay up there?" Moriarty's voice was tinged with concern.

"Just have another drink and let the dog outside…I'll be down in a minute!" Shelley grimaced as she slid the needle slid into her vein and administered a dose of Med-X.

God knows Jericho had certainly done his level best to fuck her over. Sure, her guts hurt and her skull felt like…felt like…well, like someone had punched her in the head, but she'd had worse injuries in the wasteland and wasn't about to let a few cuts and bruises get in the way of being with Colin.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and was relieved to see that at least her face had escaped injury. Her scalp was sore, her guts hurt like hell but the Med-X acted pretty fast and as soon as it kicked in, she wouldn't feel a damn thing.

Actually that wasn't true. She'd only taken just enough to take the edge off, any more would mean that she'd be too numb to feel anything and _that_ was just not acceptable.

Not with Colin waiting for her downstairs.

After Jericho had been thrown out of the saloon, Moriarty had emptied the bar of the few remaining onlookers and closed up a little earlier than normal. While Gob set about reckoning up the night's take, the Irishman had sat her down on a chair and checked over her like he was a fucking doctor or something.

Truth was, that whole gallant thing…just didn't suit him.

Once her head had stopped spinning, she'd waved him off and suggested they just get back to hers and go to bed. The heat that had built up between them earlier in the night was beginning to be more than just an itch that needed scratching, and Shelley needed Colin inside her, needed to feel his rough hands on her body and taste his whiskey laced breath on her tongue. Sure, she'd heard him say he cared but now she wanted him to show it in the only way he knew how.

She kinda figured he needed this too.

She sighed quietly as a familiar warmth spread through her body and carried away the worst of the pain. It was still there, but it was more of a dull ache now and could easily be forgotten in lieu of more _pleasant_ sensations. She felt herself relaxing as she loosened her hair from its braid and shook it out so that it hung down over her pale shoulders. Its ebony tresses perfectly complimented the rich black silk of the nightgown Colin had given her and she smiled as she smoothed the fluid fabric over her body. It clung perfectly to every curve and seemed to flow over her skin with every movement she made.

If this didn't get the old man hot, nothing would.

Feeling a little looser and a lot more confident…_probably the Med-X_…Shelley stepped out of her small bathroom and slowly began to descend the stairs. A long slit in one side of the skirt revealed a toned thigh with every step she took and it would certainly allow easy access to other parts of her anatomy without ruining the silhouette of her look.

"Colin…" Her voice was husky and she felt really good. She also smiled when she saw the look on the Irishman's face. His pale eyes had widened in open appreciation and the usually sarcastic expression he wore was replaced with that of a hungry man given a banquet.

"Jesus Christ, little girl." He murmured, sliding his heavy leather vest off his shoulders. "Sure'n if you don't look like a dark angel…"

Shelley paused before she reached the ground, standing still just long enough for Moriarty to get a damn good look at what was his.

"So I guess you like what you see, old man?" She coyly trailed her index finger down between her silk clad breasts. "Mmm, feels expensive."

"More caps than Gob be earnin' in a year." Moriarty breathed, raising a thick white eyebrow and reaching down to pull his dirty white tee off over his head. "Worth every one of 'em, I say."

Shelley flushed slightly as she studied the saloonkeeper. His chest was broad and bronzed, just like the rest of his skin and it was dusted with thick white hair. His shoulders and arms were thickly corded with muscle and it was almost mesmerising watching the way they flexed and bulged as he moved. His handsome, masculine face was for once devoid of all cynicism and his ice blue eyes were bright with need and desire.

"Now, little girl…" He began, kicking off his boots before loosening his belt. "You already know how to turn me on."

"You like to…watch." Shelley replied, stalking toward him like a hungry predator. "You like to see me touching myself, knowing that you're there."

She smiled mischievously as she stepped in close and pressed her lips to his before trailing kisses down his torso as she dropped to her knees.

"So how would you like to watch me…sucking you?"

Moriarty grinned broadly as she slid his combat pants down his thick muscular legs and revealed his hard and extremely erect member.

"Well, look who's takin' charge…" He chuckled as she wrapped her hand around the heavy, pulsing length. "One night o' passion and suddenly you're an expert…fuck me!"

Shelley moaned softly as she pursed her lips around his velvet hood and slid her mouth over his tip. Colin was already seeping with dewy arousal and she rolled her tongue around his end to taste his salty issue. He let out a groan and swayed back on his heels as she pushed her mouth down even further before sucking gently, letting the pressure build around him as she drew back. Her hand followed the pattern, clasping his shaft and drawing his foreskin back with her withdrawal before yanking hard as she once again took him deep into her throat.

Colin gasped as he reached down to grab her hair. "If you keep that up, you may be swallowin' more n' you bargained for…"

"Bring it on, old man." Shelley panted, meeting his eyes and taking pleasure from the lust she saw there. "You just make sure you're watching…"

Closing her own eyes to focus solely on pleasuring the man before her, Shelley sucked him long and hard. His guttural grunts and gentle thrusts guided her as she tugged and tasted him, swallowing his thickness and stroking even more arousal into his swollen member. For his part, Moriarty simply rocked back and forth and stroked her hair as she worked him.

It was too much. Shelley moaned loudly as she reached down between her silken thighs and pressed a finger against her clitoris. She was slick with excitement and found her digit slipping easily between her folds as she sought to ease the ache that was becoming almost too painful to bear.

"Oh yeah, lass…that's it." Colin groaned, sweat pooling at the base of his spine. "You finger-fuck yourself while you suck my dick, little girl. You'll be needin' to be ready for me once I've blown into that pretty mouth o'yours…"

Shelley felt her sex begin to quiver at the very thought of it as Moriarty's thick hard length became even more rigid. His breath started to come in snatched gasps for air and his hips bucked aggressively against her face as his climax built to its peak. Then with a cry, he gave a final thrust and Shelley felt his hood swelling as he her mouth was filled with the taste of his orgasm and she eagerly swallowed it down, relishing the power she felt knowing his climax was literally within her hands.

"Oh me beautiful little girl…oh shit…" Colin swayed unsteadily as the last drops of salty semen pumped feebly onto her tongue and he awkwardly withdrew from her before dropping to his knees. "Jesus…don't…don't be tellin' me they taught you that shit in the vault."

Shelley laughed as she wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at the Irishman intently.

"So…I guess you enjoyed that?" She asked coyly, fluttering her eyelashes in what she hoped was an innocently teasing way.

"Enjoyed it, fuck!" Colin grinned back at her as he looked down at his rapidly softening member. "Seems you've emptied me out right enough."

"Well…" Shelley purred, leaning backward and relaxing onto the cool steel floor as Med-X and euphoria continued to work their pleasant magic. "I'd hate to disappoint after everything we've been through lately."

The metal felt pleasant against her skin and she stretched languidly, enjoying the heady mix of Moriarty's masculine taste and the pleasant warmth of the drugs in her system. Her own sex still throbbed with an outraged urgency and she sighed as she pushed her hand beneath the black silk of the nightgown and began to massage some sensual relief into her aching core.

"Me poor darlin', would you look at that." Colin said softly as he watched her. "Looks like I still have meself a job to do."

His hands felt rough as he slid them along her shins before resting them on her knees and gently pushing them apart. "That's it." He murmured. "Open wide, little girl…I wanna taste you."

Shelley balled her fists in anticipation as Moriarty knelt over her and positioned himself between her quivering thighs. The coarse hairs of his beard tickled her skin as he lowered his face to her open glistening sex and pushed his tongue between her slickly engorged folds.

Deliciously pleasurable sensation caused her back to arch reflexively as Colin buried his face into her body and began to lap up her creamy arousal. She could feel her muscles twitching and convulsing as he pushed first one finger and then another into her hole, easing out the exquisite tension of longing even as he drew his lips over her clitoris to suck it none too gently from its hood.

Once exposed to his attention, he sucked hard at her nub, forcing the sensitive organ to pulse wildly and uncontrollably as he urged her to take his pleasure and to give herself completely to his sexual control.

"Oh God Colin…I can't take this!" She wailed, fighting to pull away from his merciless mouth, but he held tightly to her thigh and just renewed his efforts with savage intensity, finger-fucking and licking her until she was screaming his name.

"Now…" He snarled, pulling back for breath. "You just hold still and take it while I tug some life back into this dick of mine, you got that?"

Shelley propped herself up onto her elbows and looked down at the handsome Irishman. His beard and cheeks were covered in her juices and his eyes glinted brightly with emotion. His skin seemed to shimmer with sweat as he reached between his legs and began to pull at his semi-erect cock, offering her a wolfish smile before he plunged his face back into her wetness, causing her sex to drip with delicious wetness.

She cried again as he pushed a third finger into her body, spreading her wide as he renewed his assault on her clitoris. It was beyond wonderful and she didn't know whether she wanted to stop, go on, cry, laugh or open herself even wider as her body rode out the waves of pleasure that were starting to wash over her.

"Oh God Colin…" She gasped, pushing against him now and feeling his teeth nibble carefully at her organ. "What you're doing to me…fuck…I've never felt….anything like this…"

He stopped all too suddenly and she was surprised at the violence with which she reached down to grab at his hair.

"Now now, darlin'!" He grinned, clasping her wrists together in one hand as he clambered over her. "Just thought you'd appreciate somethin' a little more substantial inside o'you…"

Shelley's breath caught in her throat as she saw that Colin's shaft was once more fully erect and now poised at her entrance.

"That's right…" He purred, holding her hands above her head as he lowered his lips towards hers. "Jeez, but I can't help but get hard again when I'm with you…"

It was strange to taste her own musk and yet as Colin's flavoured tongue reached into her mouth, she couldn't help but roll her own around it as her lips sought to lock their mouths together in a desperately passionate kiss. He groaned with need as he pressed his chest down upon hers, his weight adding to the thrill of restraint as he nudged his tip between her nether lips and teased at her entrance.

"So tell me…" He panted, bumping and nudging her with his insistent member. "Do you want this, want me?"

Shelley's grey eyes flicked open and she found herself drowning in the icy sea of Moriarty's own cool stare.

"I want you, Colin." Shelley paused as an awkward smile crept across her lips. "I want to know how you really feel. I want you to make love to me…"

"I'll show you, Shelley darlin'." He rumbled as he slowly began to ease inside her. "I'll show you _exactly_ how I feel…"

Fuck…he felt magnificent.

She was so wet and so ready for him, that he seemed to glide inside her and Shelley bore down hard on his length as he filled her to the hilt. She writhed sensually upon his shaft as he held her there, pierced both by the look in his eyes and by the feeling of his member as he pulsed inside her.

"That's it…" He grunted as she clenched her muscles round him, her hips bucking against his. "You can tell how I feel about you now, can't you?"

"Colin…"

She sighed his name as she felt him take a long, slow stoke that almost pulled him clear of her, but then he thrust back inside so deeply that she cried with delight. Over and over he took her and the smooth slowness of his pace carried her toward climax with wonderfully inevitable certainty. As orgasm finally forced her to close her eyes against the vision of Colin's smiling face, she couldn't help but scream his name.

Finally being able to add that she loved him was just a bonus.

* * *

With a satisfied groan, Moriarty stretched in the mid-morning sun and scratched at the hairs on his belly. Last night had been…what…amazing…wonderful…beautiful even?

"Ah Jesus, man." He murmured, pulling cigarette from the pack in his back pocket and resting it between his lips. "You're gettin' sentimental in your old age."

As he touched a match to the tip and inhaled deeply of the bitter smoke, he couldn't stop the smile from breaking out across his face.

Shit…it had been pretty fantastic no matter whether that was sentimental or not.

After he'd made love to Shelley on her floor, he'd carried her upstairs to bed and then they'd just lay there, each one holding the other and enjoying the intimacy that comes with pure contentment. She'd dozed off first, nestled against his shoulder with a look on her face he couldn't forget if he tried.

Not that he'd want to.

So it was after a good night's sleep he'd woken early, used to getting out of bed to open the bar, but this morning the only thing he'd gotten open had been her legs. Fuckin' hell but the lass was a devil in the mornin's!

Their lovemaking then had been a lot more…aggressive, with her riding him like she was gonna break it off before he managed to regain some control and spin her around to take her from behind. Even then, that had lasted until she decided she wanted to be facing him again and when he'd thrown her legs over his shoulders and drove into her like an animal, that's when she'd pulled out her claws and torn through the skin on his back.

Sure'n she was _his_ girl now and God knows, he had the war wounds to prove it!

Afterwards, she'd been almost apologetic, but fuck it! Having your brains screwed out by a beautiful girl half your age was certainly nothing to be apologising for! He just hoped he could keep up with her, not that he could ever imagine not being able to get it up with her around…

He looked toward her open door to see if she'd gotten up yet and wasn't exactly surprised to see no signs of life from within. God knows he was fucking exhausted himself and with a self-satisfied grin, he leaned over her balcony and looked out over the town. Simms had already been past and given him such a look…probably wondering why he was outside Shelley's house with only his pants and boots on, looking like he'd gone ten rounds with an angry yao-guai!

Either that of he wished he was in his place.

That bloody dog o'hers had come rushing over as soon as he opened the door and Moriarty had fed him some mole-rat meat he pulled out of her refrigerator. At least he hadn't been howling all night…puts a man off his stroke, so it does.

He sighed contentedly as he took another deep drag of his cigarette and then stiffened. The sensation of being watched was suddenly overwhelming and he let his eyes wander toward the source of the offending feeling.

"Well now, if it isn't Billy Creel?" Moriarty grinned cruelly as he took in the sight of the former one-eyed caravan guard standing there with a couple of foil covered trays. "You lookin' for somebody?"

"I-I just brought Shelley some breakfast." His tone was carefully neutral but there was jealous anger burning in his remaining brown eye. "She was supposed to meet Maggie and me at the Brass Lantern earlier but she didn't show…"

"Ah, she was probably…sleepin'." Moriarty answered, flexing his shoulders as he returned his gaze to the town below. "Girl's had a busy night…"

"She's just…oh man, just what exactly did you do to her, you sonofabitch?" This time Creel couldn't hide his anger and he flushed a dark red.

"Nothin' she didn't want, believe me." Moriarty chuckled. "And I tell you, that little girl is one helluva handful!"

He pointed casually at the scratch marks on his back.

"Gives as good as she gets too…lucky I can cope with a little pain here and there."

"You're lying." Creel's voice had dropped to an ominous rumble. "She'd never go with a guy like you."

"Colin…" Shelley's voice drifted out through the open doorway. "I'm starving…you want some breakfast?"

"It's okay, little girl!" He called back, smiling at Creel's obvious discomfort. "Sure'n your pal here has brought us some fine food t'start the day."

"What did you say…?" Shelley answered sleepily, emerging from the dark interior wearing nothing more than an old robe to cover her modesty. "I've got some cram I could fry up with a couple of…"

Shelley paused in mid-sentence as soon as she spotted Creel. It wasn't that she seemed particularly shocked at seeing the lad. More like she was just a little taken aback.

"Shelley, me darlin'." Moriarty purred, sliding his hand around her waist and pulling her close. "Looks like we have a visitor."

The blood drained from Creel's face as he stared at the two of them and Shelley squirmed slightly in his embrace as she offered the lad a sympathetic smile.

"Billy, what are you doing here…oh shit." She chewed her lip nervously and shook her head. "I was supposed to meet you and I totally forgot. I'm sorry."

"Looks like you had other things on your mind." Creel answered, looking her up and down with disappointment oozing from every pore. "Actually…this kinda explains a lot."

"Listen Billy, it's not what you think."

"Oh c'mon now." Moriarty interjected. "Tis exactly what he thinks and he's just wishing he was stood here and not meself."

"Not helping." Shelley dug her elbow painfully into his ribs.

"Wasn't meant to, darlin'." Moriarty answered with a grin, placing a kiss on her perfectly pouting lips.

"For fuck's sake, Colin." She murmured before turning her gaze back to the dipshit in front of them. "Look Billy, you knew there was never going to be anything between us! You're one of my best friends and Colin is…well, he's my…um…"

"Man? Partner? I prefer to think of meself as your lover if'n you don't mind." Jesus, this was fun…the look on Creel's face was priceless!

"You gotta be fucking kidding me, dolly!" Creel seemed to snap suddenly and hurled the food containers to the gantry. "You and _him_! Colin Moriarty? Colin fucking Moriarty? What the fuck? Guy runs whores for fuck's sake and he's old enough to be your father! Jesus fucking Christ, Shelley…that's the best you could do?"

"Take it easy now, lad." Moriarty growled, his humour dissipating as he took a step toward the angry youth. "Wouldn't want to be sayin' anythin' you might regret!"

"Fuck you asshole!" Creel retorted, balling his fists. "I can say what I like! We're not in your fucking saloon now!"

"I can put you down anywhere, sonny Jim!" Moriarty bit back, spitting his cigarette onto the ground. "Just watch your fuckin' mouth."

"So is this it then?" Billy ranted at Shelley, ignoring the threat before him. "You're fucking him? So…what, you start with him and then you take over from Nova balling all the other guys in this town? I thought you were special, I thought _we_ were special…turns out you're just another one of his whores…"

Moriarty's fist had thirty years of bar room brawl know-how behind it when it landed squarely on Billy's chin. The kid collapsed with a thump and landed on his ass as Moriarty grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

"Now, you be listenin' to me, you stupid little prick!" He snarled, yanking the kid toward him. "Don't ever be callin' her that again, d'you hear me? I'm not givin' two fucks what you think o' me, but if I so much as hear a bad word said against me girl here…so help me I'll cut you in half, understand?"

"Colin…" Shelley's touch was gentle on his arm. "Colin, there are people watching…just leave him be, huh? I'll talk to him later, okay?"

Moriarty turned to see the plea in her cool grey eyes and then realised half the residents of Megaton were staring at him like he was a madman.

To be sure, Lucas Simms was hurrying over, wearing that ridiculous duster o' his despite the fact it was hotter than a nuclear explosion outside. Just looking to throw his weight around, no doubt. Not that it mattered, everyone could see now that the real Alpha Male of Megaton had just solidified his position by settling down with the Lone Wolf of the Wasteland herself.

Fuck 'em. Let them look…no one would ever dare challenge him now.

Straightening with deliberate slowness and stretching his back, Moriarty swept the lass up in his arms and kissed her. It was half for show and half because he really wanted to. Seeing her stood there, with the sun glinting on her hair and her robe barely covering the parts of her he'd only recently been exploring somewhat intimately, he couldn't help but enjoy the feelings that were coursing through his veins.

"Well, I'll let you _clean up_ out here." He nodded toward Billy Creel. "I'll grab me clothes, head on over to the Saloon and get Gob to knock us up somethin' to eat. Lazy bastard probably hasn't even opened up yet."

Shelley couldn't help but smile back at him as he offered her a suggestive wink and stalked back toward her shack. Just before he went inside, he glanced over his shoulder to see her trying to talk to Creel and Simms, no doubt wanting to placate the dumbass with promises of her undying friendship and to explain to the lawman that this had been all _one big misunderstanding_. God knows that line always seemed to work with the guy lately…

Whatever. At least Creel now knew just _who_ it was Shelley was sleeping with. He'd steer clear of bothering the girl with his puppy dog eyes now for certain.

Shelley was his.

* * *

Most of the things in Megaton just didn't fucking change.

The walkways always creaked in the hot sun. The Confessor was always spouting his shit about the atom no matter what time of day or night. Moira Brown was always so fucking chirpy you wanted to punch her and Colin Moriarty was usually always so fucking careful, the guy was untouchable.

The motherfucker had a mean Irish temper and a mouth that could do a lot of damage to a guy's reputation if he was so inclined and whatever dirt you thought you had on the old bastard, there was always something he could do to avoid dealing with shit.

The man thought he owned the fucking place.

Probably did…

After taking a swig from the beer clutched in his trembling hand, Jericho watched the vaultie deflecting Simms questions before trying to talk to Creel, who was more intent on leaving than in exchanging pleasantries with the bitch. Eventually she made her way back into the shack, apparently after her new Irish fuck buddy!

Shit, she was probably the only other fucking person he hated even more than Moriarty and now it turns out he was hitting that!

Whaddya know?

The old man must have had his fill of Nova's raggedy whore pussy and jumped to something sweeter and tighter…or maybe he was breaking her in as a replacement? If so, Jericho wouldn't mind paying for a piece. Bet she felt real good…

The bitch owed him anyhow. She'd broken a couple of ribs last night and as far as he was concerned, there was some payback coming.

Didn't explain why Moriarty was so fucking uptight about her though, I mean passing up the chance to earn decent caps? Didn't make sense…not unless…

Fuck no…couldn't be…

As he raised the beer back to his a lips, Jericho sneered.

Turned out, payback was indeed gonna be a real bitch…

* * *

**Sorry it's been a while guys! Changing jobs, life etc. plays merry hell with my muse and I wasn't sure how to set this chapter up. Ah well, gratuitous sex it is…I figured they deserved it!**


	9. The Storm

**WARNING: This chapter contains extreme violence and non-con. This fic is rated M for a reason. **

* * *

THE STORM

It had been hard not to notice the way people were looking at her all of a sudden.

After the morning's fiasco with Billy Creel, the whole fucking town seemed to think they were entitled to have an opinion about her love life. Half of them had wondered what a 'nice girl like her' was doing with Colin Moriarty, while the other half thought she was just about the only woman who could handle the guy. Frankly, Shelley didn't give two fucks what any of them thought. She was just happy the whole thing was out in the open with no more sneaking around.

Problem was, there was one person whose feelings really mattered to her and right now, he couldn't even stand to be in the same room with her.

She'd never forget the look on Billy's face when he'd seen Colin slide his arm around her waist. The realisation that glimmered inside his remaining deep brown eye had been full of pain and betrayal. Jesus Christ, she'd never pretended that there was any chance of something between them other than friendship, so why did she feel like she'd just shit all over his feelings and why did it hurt so fucking much…?

Goddamn it, this wasn't how it was supposed to be!

It had all been so perfect, waking up to find Colin snoring loudly with his arm wrapped tightly about her shoulders was something she had craved for too long. The way he smelled, all sweat, musk and alcohol, was like a drug to her and she'd grinned on finding that his cock was hard in the morning as it had been the night before. He sure was a heavy sleeper though, right up until the point she climbed on top of him and lowered her creamy pussy onto his thickness! Then he'd woken with a huge grin on his face and tightly clasped her ass and thighs as she rode him with a passion that was as exhausting as it was energetic! Afterwards she'd dozed for a time, feeling sore but amazingly content. When her eyes had finally fluttered open, Colin had not been there and that's when she'd heard him outside.

It was about then her world had turned upside down.

After Colin had hit him, Billy hadn't even been able to meet her gaze. His mouth was bleeding and an ugly purple bruise was spreading across his jaw, but it wasn't that pain that bothered him so much...it was knowing that she had chosen Moriarty over him. Shelley had tried to talk to him, tried to explain that she could only follow her heart but Billy was in no mood to listen. He had angrily shrugged away her attempts to help and shrank back from her touch like she was burning with rads.

To top it all off, Lucas Simms had come storming up the gantry during all the commotion. The Lawman had seen it all and from the look on his face, he didn't approve one damn bit. He'd asked Billy if he wanted to press charges against Moriarty, and Shelley had immediately leapt to Colin's defence. Billy had just looked at her in disgust as she pointed out that it was Creel's fault for winding up the Irish saloonkeeper and perhaps if he had thought before he spoke and acted less like an asshole then this might never have happened!

That was about the point that Billy told her to go fuck herself and stormed off with what was left of his dignity intact. Part of her wanted to go after him, to tell him that she was sorry and that he was the best friend she'd ever had, but it was just too much of a fucking mess.

For the most part though, she just wanted to get on with her life without any more bullshit interruptions from Billy, from Simms and from the rest of the inhabitants of this fucking town!

Megaton was her home too and who she chose to fuck was nobody's business but her own. God knows she'd done enough to help the others out around here, not to mention the poor saps stuck out in the Wasteland!

She'd spent too much fucking time being a hero, but Colin…Colin was the only one that made her feel like a woman.

Aside from the sideways glances of the townsfolk and their unwanted words of advice, the rest of the morning had been pretty uneventful. After she'd left the shack with Colin, they had gone over to the saloon. He was pleased to note that it was open for business as usual and even offered Gob a semi-sincere word of gratitude before settling in the back office to count the night's take. Shelley had been presented with a plate of Pork 'n' Beans by the ghoul, who looked at her with a curious expression on his face as he set it down before her. When she'd quizzed him about it, he just shrugged and said it was the first time ever that Moriarty hadn't found something to bitch about and that it was 'obviously doing him some good to be with her', not that he would ever say that to his face of course. Shelley had simply smiled and eaten her meal, even offering to share half of it with the downtrodden bartender but Gob just grinned and fetched them both a couple of his _special_ beers instead. As long as Moriarty was happy, it meant less shit doled out to his employees and for Gob, that was certainly worth a drink or two!

Over the course of the day, the saloon filled up with the usual faces. Old man Vargas, Lucy West, Leo Stahl, Doc Church, hell everyone was there…except for Billy. A caravan had come in about mid-afternoon and so the place was jumping with folks looking for a meal and a brew. Colin worked the room like the skilled host that he was, his 'Irish charm' and ready wit grabbing their attention as easily as he took their caps. There were a couple of times when things looked like they might get a little rowdy, but Colin had simply jumped on any troublemakers before they got started. As gracious as he was, there was no mistaking the powerful menace beneath his amiable exterior.

Nova had come down later for her evening shift and she smiled fondly when she spotted Shelley sitting at one of the tables. As she sauntered over, she flirted and chatted with the guys from the caravan, letting them see enough to make them sit up and take notice but not enough to let them think they could get away without paying. Whatever else could be said of her, she knew how to play the guys well.

After remarking that Colin was in an unusually good mood, Nova had taken one look at Shelley's face and laughed. 'You two good, I suppose?' she'd asked without any trace of judgement in her tone. 'We're on the same page now.' Shelley had answered and then yelped as Colin grabbed her from behind and started nibbling suggestively at the back of her neck. 'Same page!' Nova had joked as she left them to it. 'Honey, looks like the whole damn book to me!'

Shelley would have liked to have talked more to the pretty redhead, but Nova was on Colin's time now and there were plenty of john's in town looking to part with their hard-earned caps for a half hour with the best fuck in the wasteland.

Shame they didn't realise that she was so much more than just a pussy on legs. Shelley wondered if any of them ever saw through to the woman beneath the stockings…

"Y'alright me darlin'?" Colin whispered into her ear as he wrapped his thick muscular arms about her waist. "I lost you there for a minute."

"I was just thinking…" Shelley answered, twisting in his embrace so that she was facing him. "You know, men are such assholes."

"Hey now!" Colin exclaimed, raising a thick arched eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, brought that little outburst on?"

Shelley sighed as she looked into his bright blue eyes and then kissed him forcefully on the mouth. "It's nothing Colin. I guess I'm just tired, is all."

"I'm not surprised." He purred, sliding his hands beneath her jeans and cupping the firm flesh of her ass. "You've had a restless night sure enough. Sure'n if I'm not feelin' it a little meself."

"Did I wear you out, old man?" Shelley grinned as she twisted her fingers through the coarse white hair of his beard. "You can't tell me that after one night with a little-ole innocent vaultie like me, the great Colin Moriarty is ready for his bed!"

Colin laughed as he lifted her onto the bar sending bottles and glasses clattering to the ground. With a smile that was as hungry as it was genuine and heedless of the cheers and jeers from the assembled crowd, he pushed himself between her legs as his tongue explored every part of her mouth and lips. As he crushed her against his chest, he pushed hard against her groin using the solid length of his manhood to draw attention to just what he had in mind…

"Now tell me, little girl…" He murmured as he trailed kisses down her throat. "Does that feel like I'm worn out to you?"

There were more than a few people now, who were staring with open-mouthed curiosity at the spectacle that was being played before them, but Shelley didn't care. She reached down to stroke his cock through the thick cotton of his pants and squeezed hard, drawing forth a groan of needy pleasure.

"It feels like this thing needs feeding again." She breathed, feeling a pleasant slickness between her thighs. "So, you wanna come back over to my place?"

A cry went up from one of the tables as a fight broke out between a trader and one of the local boys.

"Aw Jesus…" Colin muttered as he leaned past Shelley's torso and grabbed a baseball bat from behind the bar. "Would you look at that now. I turn me back for five minutes and all hell breaks loose."

He palmed the bat carefully, feeling its weight and letting the rest of the onlookers see that he was not about to have any trouble in his saloon.

"Listen darlin' I have a thing to take care of right now, but how's about you slip home, grab a few things and come back here while I explain the house rules to those pricks over there." He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "It'd be nice to have me own girl in me own bed for a change, and I do so love you in that little black number…"

Shelley slid down from the bar and offered him a wink as she skilfully weaved through the crowd. "Just make sure the sheets are clean!" She called as she made her way to the door, but Colin was already engrossed in a rather one-sided debate with both of the offending parties about the rules of Moriarty's saloon. The fact that Gob had a shotgun pointed their way seemed to be helping the argument some, but at the end of the day, no one fucked with Colin Moriarty.

Well, no one except her of course…

And that thought made her smile.

* * *

There was a rad-strom blowing outside. The wind was loud and fierce and the steel walkways creaked and groaned as they heaved against their restraints. Shelley frowned and pulled her jacket collar up, trying to keep out the worst of the weather but the damned dust stirred up by the wind seemed to be getting everywhere.

On ground level the streets were deserted. Even the Brass Lantern was closed for the night. She figured most people were either at home or in the saloon and as soon as she'd got her stuff from the shack, that's just where she'd be headed back to.

As she gingerly made her way across the alarmingly swinging gantry, Shelley felt the sudden urge to stop. She was outside Billy's house. A hundred things told her that now was not the time, that it was too soon to try and talk to the guy but…for fuck's sake…Billy was her best friend! She had never meant to hurt him and if she didn't at least try to explain, she'd never forgive herself. He'd probably tell her to go fuck herself again, to leave him the fuck alone and stay out of his life but then at least she'd given him the chance to say what he wanted to say.

She owed him that much.

The noise meant she had to bang on the door much louder than she would normally and she felt the sheet steel shaking with the sound of her fist falls. After a few minutes, the door was opened a fraction and Maggie Creel peered cautiously around the edge.

"Oh, uh…hey Maggie. Is Billy home?"

"Shelley!" Maggie smiled and then squealed as the wind threatened to rip the door from her hands. "You better come inside, Shelley! Billy says the rad-strom is mighty fierce tonight and we're having cake and tea and listening to a story and you could listen to it too if you want and…"

"That's enough Maggie." Billy's voice was gruff as he appeared in the doorway. "Go on inside and wait for me."

"But Shelley's here. I thought she could come sit with us and…"

"I said go inside!" Billy's voice was heavy with emotion and the look on his face said more than words ever could. "I'm sure Shelley has other places to be right now, isn't that right?"

"Billy, I just wanna talk to you."

His brown eye flashed dangerously and he pointed to the ugly purple bruise on his face. "Well you know, that last time I tried to talk to you, some mother-fucking Irishman decided to punch me in the face! Now call me crazy dolly, but you can imagine that I'd rather avoid all that shit in future."

"Colin was out of line." Shelley admitted, feeling pathetically inadequate and sick with guilt. "He's a little over-protective."

"Over-protective!" Billy exclaimed loudly, so that his voice carried over the howl of the wind. "The man wants to own you Shelley! What the fuck? I thought you were better than that!"

"Billy, please…!" She held out her hands and shook her head. "I didn't come here to talk about me and Colin."

"So what did you come for, huh?" He crossed his arms and spat on the floor. "Forgiveness, understanding, friendship…'cos I gotta tell you, right now I'm outta all three."

"Billy…"

"Billy what?" Creel scowled as the wind caused the nearby staircase to shriek horribly. "Jesus fucking Christ, I can't do this right now Shelley. Don't you get it? I care about you, goddammit! I care about you too much to watch you throw your life away on some low-life piece of shit like Colin Moriarty." The fight seemed to go out of him and he slumped against the doorframe. "I'm not saying that I never want to talk to you again but I can't, not right now. Just… Just go, okay? Please…just go."

Shelley lunged for the door as Billy disappeared from view. "No Billy, wait! We can talk about this!"

The door closed with a bang, rendering any further protests impotent and Shelley reluctantly began to climb the ramp leading to her own shack. The wind was strong as hell now and she had to put her shoulder to the door just to get inside. Dogmeat looked up as she entered, an accusative look on his canine face as he dashed past her to go take a dump. She'd hadn't intended to leave him for so long, she's just got caught up in the arms of a certain saloonkeeper...

Great. At this rate, she would just about manage to piss-off all the other men in her life! There would only be Colin left!

Wedging the door open for the dog with an ammo crate, she rushed upstairs and shoved a few personal items into her backpack. The hairbrush with most of the bristles still intact, some clean…well, just about…underwear and the silky black negligee that Colin had bought her. God knows it seemed to have quite and effect on the old man!

Next she ventured into the kitchen to grab some Salisbury steak from the fridge. Dogmeat loved that shit…he'd soon forgive her if she gave him a double helping! Maybe she would speak to Colin about keeping him round the saloon. There was certainly more room in there and he'd be great at keeping down the radroaches, not to mention the rowdier customers…

With a sudden crash, the front door slammed shut…wind must have caught it.

Shelley set down the plate of food and licked the congealed gravy from her fingers as she crossed the living room. Sure enough, the door was tight. Reaching out to grasp the handle, she pulled hard.

"Uh-uh hero, door stays shut. You and I have a little…unfinished business."

"Jericho…" Shelley felt a cold ball forming in the pit of her stomach as the ex-raider emerged from behind her gun-cabinet with his rifle pointed squarely at her head. "How did you get in here?"

"Same way you did." He answered with a grin that made her nauseous. "Through the fucking door. Nice of you to leave it open by the way…but shame about your dog."

"What the fuck did you do to Dogmeat!" She lunged forward, fear and rage flooding her body with adrenaline but Jericho simply stood his ground and held his finger warningly over his trigger.

"He's out front, or what's left of him anyway. Dumb beast thought he could take me out…just like his bitch of an owner."

A cruel smile played over his lips as he edged forward, backing Shelley against the stairs.

"You bastard…" She gasped, her fingers twitching as her eyes flicked around the room for a weapon. "I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born."

"Oh I don't think so." Jericho sneered and something inside her froze. He smelled of booze, but nearly as much as he usually did and that meant he was mostly sober.

That meant he was fucking dangerous…

"What do you want…?" She whispered hoarsely, fear finally starting to seize hold of her as she noticed the chilling look in his eyes.

"What do I want? What do I want…hmm, let me think." He made a show of considering the question. "What I want is enough booze to drown in and as much pussy as I can stand however and whenever I want it. What I want is enough caps to buy this fucking town and cut loose all the assholes here who think they are so much better than me. What I want is to rid my world of Colin fucking Moriarty and to piss on his memory while I fuck his little bitch in the ass for all the times she's got in my face…"

Shelley felt the blood drain from her face. "You're fucking delusional…"

"Aw come on now…I thought you liked old men. I've seen the way you come into the bar, all titties and tail hanging out just to get some attention." Jericho licked his lips, his hard brown eyes holding her in place as much as the barrel of the gun. "Never figured that it was all for Moriarty. My guess would've been that you'd be banging Creel, but I see I was wrong. Even he doesn't want your sorry ass now that nasty Irish cunt has been hitting it…lucky for me, I'm not so picky."

"You fucking touch me and I swear I'll end you!" Shelley snarled, anger cutting through the growing terror that was threatening to overwhelm her. "You think you can just walk in here, into my own house and…"

Her head was snapped around by the blow as Jericho slammed his rifle butt into her face. Spots danced in her vision and vomit surged up her gullet as she fell to the floor shaking and sick. It felt like her whole head had come apart and she was dimly aware of the steady flow of blood as it ran across her cheek.

"See, it's always the same with you." Jericho growled as he stepped over her. "That fucking mouth of yours…you just don't know when to shut the fuck up!"

Shelley cried out as the ex-raider dropped a knee onto her chest, bruising, if not cracking her ribs and causing her breath to come in agonised gasps.

"You should just listen more…" A punch to the face split the skin above her eye. "Do as you're told like a good little girl and take what's coming to ya." The world exploded into stars as a punch to the jaw pushed her to the edge of unconsciousness. "Learn what to keep shut…and what to keep open…"

She wanted to fight as she felt her belt being ripped from the waistband of her jeans. She wanted to scream as rough hands forced the denim past her thighs and tore it from her legs without thought or care. She wanted to struggle as those same hands pulled her breasts from beneath her tee-shirt and then squeezed and twisted them until she was bruised and sore.

"See…now I get it." Jericho's voice sounded husky and distant as he fumbled with his zipper. "I can't touch Moriarty, guy has too much on me…but you, heh. He won't want you after I'm done. I take you, I take a piece of him and you know what, that's enough for me. Revenge sure is sweet…"

When she felt the ex-raider's bodyweight pressing down against her blood-soaked, naked skin, Shelley wanted to cry.

When he finally forced himself between her legs, she closed her eyes and her mind and wished for oblivion…

* * *

It sure was bad out here. The storm had gotten pretty loud and awful fierce since Shelley had called at his house about a half hour ago.

Manya Vargas had been round after that. Seems Nathan had gone off again and an old guy like that wandering about in this storm was just looking for trouble. She'd asked Billy to help find him and he'd readily agreed. Nathan might be a little touched, but he was one of the good guys at heart. They'd found him pretty quickly, taking shelter near the Craterside Supply and wondering to himself why Moira wasn't opening the door. Manya had managed to convince him it was because it was the middle of the night and eventually, the old guy had sort of understood.

After seeing them both home safe, Billy had seen Jericho slinking back into his hole looking a little worse for wear. The asshole had probably been pissing his life away in the Saloon as usual. With any luck, one day he would drink himself to death. Maybe he could get Shelley to suggest it to Moriarty as an option…

Damn. He wasn't ready for those kind thoughts just yet.

Making sure his bandana was tied tightly about his head, Billy Creel looked up at the bright lights of Moriarty's Saloon and took a deep breath. It wasn't a place he wanted to go, but if he ever wanted to speak to Shelley again he'd have to go there sooner or later.

The thought of her with him just didn't seem right and the way the old bastard had flown at him this morning was nothing short of insane, but in the end Shelley was his friend. She was stupid, she was dangerous, she was downright crazy, but she was still his friend. With a sigh, Billy leaned against the metal railings and tried to let the storm blow the feelings of anger and resentment from the corners of his mind. Not that he'd ever understand it…not as long as he lived. Shelley was amazing, a true hero to some…a saviour to others. She was beautiful and funny, fierce and proud, a girl he would have given his other eye for just to be with…but she wanted someone else. She wanted the guy with the mean Irish temper and half of Megaton in his back pocket.

Jesus…didn't she realise that the guy would only hurt her in the end? Someone like Moriarty would never really appreciate just what he had until it was too late and by then, who knows what shit he would have put her through. She'd be left alone, hurt, probably heartbroken and with nobody to help her pick-up the pieces.

That would be when she would need her friends.

That would be when she would need Billy…

"Aw shit…" He muttered into the wind, pulling his collar up and resolving to go see her. He may not have any love for the prick she had chosen to be with, but he wouldn't lose a friendship over it. He thought more of her than that.

As he pushed away from the steel balcony, he heard a high-pitched whine coming from below. Squinting against the particles of rust and grit that were blowing into his face, Billy spotted movement on the gantry below.

"Dogmeat…?"

Something wasn't right…

Billy raced down the ramp to the side of the grievously wounded animal and recoiled in shock when he saw the blood pooling beneath the stocky cattle-dog.

"Oh shit, boy." He gasped as he pressed a hand to the…fuck no…the _bullet_ _hole_ in his chest. "What happened to you, Dogmeat? Who did this to you? Hold on, boy. I gotta get you to the Doc or Shelley will have my…"

Shelley…

Billy didn't know how he arrived outside her shack. One minute he was kneeling next to the injured dog, the next minute he was here, pushing gently against her door with a sick feeling deep down inside his guts.

"Shelley…are you in here?" His voice seemed too loud, even over the din outside. "Shelley, it's Billy…are you okay?"

There was a sound, a muted cry from the floor just ahead and Billy cautiously crept into the room. There was something on the floor, something glistening and wet that let out muffled whimpers as it tried to move.

"B..Billy…" The voice was barely recognisable.

With shaking hands, Billy flicked on the light switch and felt his heart leap into his mouth. Hot tears burned in his eyes as he dropped to his knees beside her naked, bleeding torso and covered her with his jacket. He could barely see as he gently cradled her to his chest, her face a bloody pulp and her eyes still wide with terror despite the swollen tissue surrounding them. She tried to speak again, and then gasped in pain, each breath causing her to shudder in his arms before she was forced to give way to the agonised sobs that wracked her body and caused her to shake like a newborn brahmin calf.

As the storm continued to rage outside, Shelley gave in to the shock of her attack and began to wail in agony and anguish.

Holding her with as much tenderness as he would a sick child, Billy Creel silently wept.

* * *

**Though there is build-up of violence leading to the rape scene, I tried to keep the descriptive writing to the minimum needed to preserve the flow of the story. **

**It was never my intent to shock or offend and I do not and will not ever condone sexual violence. **

**Gixx.**


	10. The Coldest Rage

**WARNING: This chapter contains adult situations and extreme violence. This fic is rated M for a reason. **

* * *

THE COLDEST RAGE

What in the hell was takin' her so long?

Colin Moriarty stepped outside the saloon and into the storm and then frowned as the cigarette that had been dangling from his lips was blown clear across town. Shelley had been gone almost an hour now and he wondered if her short trip to pick up some of her things had obviously turned into a full-on female thing that would mean he'd be having to move some of the clothes around in his closet!

God knows she might be contemplatin' movin' in next if he didn't say somethin'!

Then again, there were worse fates for a man than waking up every morning with a beautiful girl in his arms. He was fairly certain he could get used to the idea, even if it did mean making a few changes here and there, after all it was a small price to pay for seeing that look on her face every time he managed to make her come.

Fuck me…there was nothin' better than the sound of his own name being called from those lovely lips o'hers as she writhed beneath him, and the smell of her pussy on his fingers was a better pick-me-up in the mornin' than a slug of fine whiskey!

Actually, if he was being honest with himself, just knowing that she was there beside him had started to be a feeling he was becoming all too comfortable with. Jesus, but that little vault girl had more spirit and fire than any other woman he had known! She was a demon in the sack and if the way she handled herself in the saloon the other night with Jericho was anything to go by, she was just as fearless as a yao-guai and twice as deadly if she was in a bad mood! Should make for some interesting arguments in the future…not so much the name calling and storming about…but the making up afterwards, that would be worth sharing his bed and his life for and with any luck there'd be a few more battle scars across his back that told the world she loved him as much as he…

As much as he…

Ah, fuck it. He might as well just admit he loved her, as much as he was capable of anyway.

No one in this town had ever thought of him as more than just the local crime boss. A cold, dangerous bastard whose only passions in life were caps and cunt, and who dealt in both with equal enthusiasm.

But they didn't know him, not really, not like she did.

Shelley had seen that side of him sure enough, experienced it when they first met and yet she still wanted more. Whether it was the stubborn streak she'd inherited from dear old James or whether it was her hormones playing hell with her mind, Moriarty didn't care.

She wanted him and that was that.

And fuck it all, he wanted her just as much.

Moriarty scowled as the ferocious winds suddenly whipped his bone white hair into his eyes. It was none too pleasant out here, to be sure. Just what was keeping her anyway? Was she hoping to sit out the worst of the storm before she came back to the saloon? She, above all people should know that they could last for days and…

He felt his eyes harden as he spotted Doc Church emerging from her shack, being shown out the door by…Jesus Christ he didn't believe it…Billy fuckin' Creel!

What the fuck was wrong with this picture and what the fuck would she need with the good doctor at this hour?

Ignoring the sand and grit that scraped irritatingly across his bare arms, Moriarty stormed down the gantry and across the walkway toward Shelley's house. The sound of the creaking steelwork covered the noise of his footsteps, but almost as if sensing his approach, Creel rushed forward and grabbed at his chest.

"Hey no…Moriarty…stop… I mean…hold up...!"

"Get away from me, you little prick!" Moriarty snarled as he tried to push past the kid, but Creel was having none of it. "Listen, if'n you don't get outta me way, I'm gonna hit you so hard that this time you'll not be gettin' up for a week!"

"Moriarty, stop! For God's sake stop!" Creel had grasped his arm and pulled back hard. "You gotta listen to me man, you gotta! If Shelley means anything to you, you have to stop right now!"

Something in the desperate tone of his voice made Moriarty pause. The look on his face, that pale bloodless look was doing more to un-nerve him than the rad-storm that was raging all around them.

"Colin, cut the alpha-male shit and listen to the kid, would you?" Doc Church had returned and grasped him by the shoulder. "If what I saw in the saloon earlier today is anything to go by, I'm guessing you and Shelley are together, right?"

Moriarty nodded stiffly, his eyes never leaving Creel's alarmingly anxious face.

"Then you need to be calm now, for her sake." Church sighed and gestured toward the shack. "She's been hurt bad, Colin. Real bad."

Moriarty's eyes flicked to the dark-skinned medic. "For fuck's sake, one of you tell me what's happened to me girl, or so help me…"

"I found her dog." Creel answered, his voice almost lost to the roar of the wind. "He was out here, laying just there on the walkway all covered with blood. He'd been shot." Creel swallowed nervously before continuing. "I dunno why, but I figured that whoever had shot him might have done something to Shelley, so I rushed over here to see if she was home and…and…well, the door was open and when I went inside…"

The kid was shaking from head to foot. There were tears in his eyes for fuck's sake.

"You went inside and what?" Moriarty felt his chest beginning to pound and a sick feeling twisting up inside his guts.

"She was just lying there, man…just lying there, naked. He…he hurt her bad, man. Fucking Jericho…that sick motherfucker…he, he…"

With a snarl of desperation, Moriarty tore himself free of the restraining hands of the two men and ran into the shack. There was still blood on the floor near the stairs and her clothes were in heap in the corner of the room.

"Shelley! Shelley, where are you? Answer me!" He raced up the stairs two at a time, his heart threatening to burst from his chest and his throat knotted tight with fear as he rushed into her room.

He froze in place when he saw her clutching the bed covers to her body like they were a shield against the world. The terrified look on her face was one he knew that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Oh shit no…don't be lookin' at me like that. I'm not gonna hurt you." He dropped to his knees beside her bed and tried hard not to stare at the ugly cuts and bruises that marred her pretty face. "Shelley…me darlin', me beautiful little girl…it's me…it's your Colin…"

She seemed to take forever to see him and when she did, those beautiful grey eyes of hers filled with tears that spilled down over her swollen cheeks.

"Colin…" She whimpered through lips that were spilt and sore. "Colin…I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him…I couldn't stop him…"

"Shhh now…" Moriarty murmured as he reached out to stroke her hair. "What are you talkin' about? You don't need to be apologising to me."

"But I should have stopped him, Colin!" She cried, trembling at his touch. "I should have stopped him…'cos I'm yours, aren't I? I'm yours and he went there and he put his hands on me and he touched me and he…he…he raped me Colin! Oh God…he raped ME!"

A cry of pure anguish tore from her throat as Moriarty threw his arms around her and pulled her close. She shook uncontrollably as she wept, alternately pounding at his chest and clawing at his back as she sought to smother the sound of her agony against the stiff leather of his vest. He tried to calm her, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words he hoped that she could hear, but it didn't really matter if she was listening. He just needed her to know he was here. He was here and he wasn't ever letting go.

"I'm sorry me darlin'…" He whispered softly, his shoulders beginning to shudder. "I'm so sorry for lettin' this happen to you. I'm so sorry for not being there when you needed me…" His voice caught and Moriarty choked as he felt bitter tears sliding from his eyes, down through the bristled hair of his beard. "And above all, I'm sorry that I never told you how much I love you Shelley…do you hear me? I love you."

"Colin." Doc Church stood in the doorway and carefully avoided Moriarty's gaze. "Colin, I know you wanna be here, but this girl needs some rest and in this state…I'm going to need to give her Med-X. A decent dose should help her sleep."

Moriarty sighed and fought back the emotion threatening to cloud his judgement. "Do what you have to." He stated, his voice sounding hoarse and only leaving her side very reluctantly. "Just…help her."

He quickly moved past the doctor onto the landing beyond. He could still hear her whimpering and calling his name before the Med-X must have kicked in and eased her into sleep.

A moment later, Church joined him and gestured for him to join Billy Creel downstairs in her living room.

"How is she?" Creel asked, eyeing Moriarty warily.

"She's sleeping now." Church answered him, wiping his hand over his face. "Considering what she's been through…"

"Just what did he do to her?" Moriarty interrupted. "And don't be tellin' me the obvious shit like 'he beat her black and blue'. I can see that fer meself."

"Well, aside from the various lacerations and contusions on both the upper and lower parts of her body, Shelley has suffered some minor physical injuries to her genital area and has suffered a significant loss of blood." The doctor looked drawn and took a deep breath before continuing. "The stimpaks I administered when I arrived should speed up the healing process, although the psychological damage…that's a little out of my area of expertise."

"I don't expect you don't get much call for that type o' help workin' for slavers and raiders." Moriarty growled dangerously.

Church stiffened and then shook his head. "Look, I know you're hurting, but I don't have to take that shit from you. Besides, I gotta go report this to Lucas Simms. He's been looking for a reason to arrest Jericho since that whole shit-storm with Billy here not so long ago."

"I don't think so." Moriarty said, a cold calm stealing over him at the thought of the ex-raider. "I'd like to have a word with the man, meself first. If'n you don't mind?"

"You gotta be shitting me!" Billy Creel exclaimed, looking at him with disgust. "You letting him get away with it again! What the fuck is the matter with you?"

"Oh he won't be getting' away with anythin'." Moriarty rumbled ominously, walking over to Shelley's weapons cabinet and pulling out the baseball bat that she'd carried since leaving Vault 101. "I just need to clear up a few things before the law shows up and starts being all righteous." He turned toward the Doc and fixed him with an icy stare. "You don't mind stayin' with her, do you? Until we get back that is?"

Church chewed his lip and then shook his head. "I guess I should be here to carry out observations. I don't like to leave a patient alone for shall we say, a half hour or so?"

"A half-hour sounds like a fine amount of time to me." Moriarty replied and then pulled open the front door. "So Creel, you comin' or not?"

The kid just looked at him with genuine surprise and then nodded grimly as he pulled out a magnum from the back of his pants.

"It's about fucking time, man. It's about fucking time."

* * *

Billy felt his stomach lurch and his bowels loosen as Moriarty pushed on the door to Jericho's shack. It wasn't that he was afraid for himself. It wasn't that he was afraid for Moriarty. It wasn't even that he was afraid for the sick fucking rapist that waited for them inside.

No. It was the look on Moriarty's face that scared the shit out of him right now.

Outwardly, the old man looked calm, real calm, but judging by the way he held his body and the veins bulging across his biceps, the Irishman was wired to fuck! His pupils were nothing but tiny pinpricks of darkness in their chilling blue irises and his expression was oddly devoid of any emotion. Even his breathing seemed to be sort of slow and deliberate like and yet the way he snorted each exhalation through his nose, it was like he getting ready to blow…

The door opened easy enough, Jericho was obviously expecting company. The old raider was sat on that ruined couch of his, with a half empty whiskey bottle in one hand, and the other was shoved down the front of his pants. He didn't even bother to get up when the Irishman moved inside, just grinned and lifted the bottle to his lips.

"Colin Moriarty…well ain't this a nice surprise!" Jericho grimaced as he swallowed the amber liquid and his eyes glinted wickedly. "Shit, this stuff tastes like horse piss. Maybe you oughtta consider changing suppliers?"

"I'll take that under advisement." Moriarty replied, his voice as hollow as the crater outside. "Maybe I should think about changin' a few things around here. What do you think, Creel?"

Jericho's eyes showed a fraction of alarm as Billy followed him into the shack and closed the door behind him. "Why not? I sure could stand to see a few improvements made about town."

Jericho snorted and took another hit from the bottle. "So what's this? A fucking town meeting?" He laughed and rolled his eyes. Billy noticed that they strayed to the rifle leaning against the wall. "Don't reckon much to the company you're keeping lately, Moriarty!"

"You talkin' about Creel or was there somebody else you'd be referring to?" The Irishman flexed his fingers around the handle of the baseball bat.

Jericho simply nodded in understanding. "Oh…you're here about the vaultie. Gotta hand it to ya, Moriarty. That's some fucking-A pussy you got there. Big ass, big titties…shame about the mouth though. Bitch doesn't know when to shut up! Had to shove my cock down her throat just to get some peace and quiet…"

"You dirty bastard…!" Billy lurched forward but Moriarty held out his arm and shoved him back against the door.

"Easy, lad." He drawled, his eyes glinting dangerously. "The man is just expressin' his opinion, though he usually prefers his women t'be weepin' or bought and paid for. Didn't think Shelley was your type, Jericho?"

"Didn't fucking think she was your type either?" Jericho sneered, his lip curling as he spoke. "I can understand you wanting to fuck the bitch, but she's made you weak! Just fucking look at yourself! The Moriarty I know would never let his self get all wound up over a piece of ass and he certainly wouldn't turn down a shit-load of caps for a bitch who thinks she is better than the rest of us!"

Billy stared in disgust as the ex-raider handed Moriarty the whiskey and the Irishman took it. He slowly raised the bottle to his lips and drank a generous mouthful before passing it back.

"Truth is, I was doing you a favour." Jericho said as he wiped the neck of the bottle with his hand. "You let yourself get attached to these bitches and they shit all over you. They get you by the balls and they fuck you up in ways you can't even imagine. As long as you let 'em know who's boss, you're safe. Besides, I thought we was practically partners, Moriarty. You set 'em up, I knock 'em down. Just figured it was time I got a taste of the good stuff. Nova's a good fuck, but she ain't as tight as the vaultie." He lifted his hand to his mouth and licked at his fingers. "Mm mm mm. Fuck me, but she tasted good too…though she was a little wet when I got there. You musta already been through her today…"

Jericho suddenly lunged for the rifle, but Billy was ready for him. A single shot rang out from the end of his magnum and the ex-raider dropped to the ground, a gaping hole where his right kneecap had been.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" He screamed as he clamped his hands over the wound. "What the fuck do ya think you're doing?"

"Why Billy Creel…look at what you've done." Moriarty leaned over the ex-raider and made a show of inspecting the wound. "Looks nasty sure enough. I'd hate to think how painful that must feel…"

Billy's stomach turned when the Irishman slammed his booted foot down onto Jericho's shattered knee joint.

"Does it fuckin' hurt, friend?" He snarled as he followed up with yet another stamp upon the bloodied limb. "Tell me Jericho, I'm dyin' to know!"

"You fucking crazy bastard!" Jericho cried as he reached desperately for the rifle at his side. "I'm gonna kill the pair of you! You're fucking dead, you hear me! You're both fucking dead!"

Moriarty smiled then, a cold threatening smile that made Billy take an anxious step backward. He casually strode over to the wall and picked up Jericho's rifle before handing it to Billy.

"Look after this for me." He said in a voice that was leaden with the threat of violence. "I don't think that our friend here will be needin' it."

Jericho began to laugh. "So what you gonna do, you Irish cunt? Kill me? Over a fucking woman! I don't fucking think so…"

"Oh no, Jericho. I'm not gonna kill you." Moriarty stretched and raised the baseball bat over his right shoulder. "I'm gonna do worse than that..."

The bat slammed into Jericho's other leg with a sickening crunch.

"I'm gonna make sure you can never walk again…"

Moriarty hit him again, Jericho's shin snapping at an unnatural angle and blood spraying up the wall of the shack.

"I'm gonna see to it that you're kicked out of me town…"

He aimed the bat at Jericho's torso and the ex-raider lifted his arm to block the blow. Bad idea. His elbow took the brunt of the attack and exploded in a shower of blood and bone.

"I'm gonna see to it, that when you're out there, no fuckin' amount of weaponry will help you…"

Moriarty stamped hard on Jericho's forearm as his swung the bat upward, catching the ex-raider under the jaw.

"I'm gonna make you suffer for every fuckin' moment of pain you caused me girl…"

He leaned in close, seizing Jericho's chin to try and shake some consciousness back into the guy and Billy almost jumped when the ex-raider spat blood into the Irishman's face. "F…fuck you, Moriarty…"

"No friend…" Moriarty rasped, his eyes blazing with a cold fury and his body shaking as adrenaline surged through his system. "You hurt me girl, hurt her and raped her like she was nothin'. Well fuck you, Jericho…fuck you."

Billy shrank back against the wall as the baseball bat fell again and again. Bones shattered and blood sprayed as the Irishman rained down blow after blow onto the ex-raider's limbs, rendering them a pulpy mass of useless flesh and torn leather. Any protests that Jericho tried to make were cut off with a gargled shriek as Moriarty slammed his boot into his face, smashing his teeth and shattering the bones of his jaw and cheekbones. The Irishman himself looked like a demon from the depths of hell, his bone white hair and dirty tee stained crimson with the blood of his victim, and his mouth set into an ugly grimace.

Nothing, nothing in this world had prepared him to witness the ferociousness of Moriarty's wrath but Billy did not turn away. Jericho had brought this on himself the moment he had thought to hurt Shelley. The sonofabitch deserved this.

Still, as the muffled cries of tortured agony finally began to dwindle, Billy Creel slipped out of the shack and vomited over the steel balcony outside.

There may have been some satisfaction in revenge, but that didn't mean it was any the easier to watch.

* * *

The storm had abated some and warm rain was falling as Colin left Jericho to the small mercies of unconsciousness. God knows this kind of weather was rare in the Wasteland these days, but he for one was glad of it. The remaining half of the baseball bat he had only so recently been wielding, fell from his nerveless fingers and he slumped down against the cool metal outer wall and reached into his tee-shirt sleeve for the packet of cigarettes he habitually carried around.

They were a little dented, bent all out of shape, but they were still good and Moriarty slid one from the pack and lifted it to his lips. It was only then he realised he didn't have a light.

"Here." Billy Creel murmured as he threw over a pack of matches. "Looks like you need them."

"Thanks, Creel." Moriarty replied and then looked up at the kid. "You okay?"

"No." He answered honestly. "But I will be."

They both stayed there for a moment, the rain beating a steady rhythm upon the walkways and causing the blood that coated Moriarty's bare arms and face to run down from his body in small rivulets of scarlet.

"Do me a favour." He said after looking thoughtfully at the stains covering his clothes. "Go tell the Doc he can bring the Law now. I don't think Jericho is in any position to resist arrest…" He smiled dangerously. "Actually, I don't think he's in a position to resist anythin' any more…"

Billy looked toward the shack at the far end of the walkway. "What about Shelley…?"

Moriarty felt his throat tighten. "Shelley, yeah…look after her a while would you? I don't think it would do her much good t'see me like this." He snorted as he climbed to his feet and leaned against the wall. "Besides, I need to see that Simms comes to the right decisions about our pal Jericho."

Creel looked a tad confused. "Can I ask you something? Why didn't you kill him?"

"Because that's what he wanted." Moriarty took a deep drag on the cigarette and ran his hand through his bloodied hair. "He wanted to die safely in his bed with nary a worry t'bother him…that's why he came to Megaton. See, an old raider doesn't stand much chance out in the wasteland. Now he's an old, _crippled_ raider who can't even pick up a gun t'defend himself. The wasteland'll do for him now for certain, he'll not last more than a day."

Billy stared for a moment and then nodded grimly before slowly making his way back to her shack. The rain was still pouring and the heavy black clouds overhead mostly obscured the deep purple sky beyond.

As the last embers of his cigarette burned between his fingers, Moriarty closed his eyes and lifted his face to the skies. The rain washed over him as he stood there and he wiped away the gore that spattered his skin. His body was trembling now, the adrenaline rush leaving him feeling weak and tired. He just wanted to get back to the Saloon, get clean and then get back to his girl. She would need him now, more than ever and never again would he let anyone hurt her.

If'n he'd only dealt with Jericho properly when he'd attacked the Stahl girl then maybe none of this would ever have happened…

Guilt was not an emotion he was used to dealing with and Moriarty felt the urge to hurl all over the place. With an angry snarl, he swallowed hard and sent the lump of bile that was burning the back of his throat, down into this gut. For fuck's sake, he'd made his decisions back then and no amount of regret now would help matters any.

Not that it stopped him from feeling responsible...

God knows, he probably was.

He frowned as he noticed his hands were shaking and hastily lit up another cigarette. As he exhaled a long plume of smoke, he felt the eyes of the tall lawman long before he opened his mouth to speak.

"So… did you kill him?" Lucas Simms coolly regarded Moriarty from beneath the wide brim of his hat and held his rifle level with his chest. "Doc Church tells me the man assaulted Shelley, pretty bad from what I hear, and here you stand, outside his house all covered in blood. I'm no fool, Moriarty."

"No you're not." Moriarty answered, leaning on one elbow to look at the dark-skinned man. "That's why, you'll be pleased to know I let the bastard live."

Simms eyes widened and he looked suspiciously toward the door.

"Oh I fucked him up right enough." Moriarty added. "But he was still breathin' when I left him. I even gave him a couple of stimpaks, out of the goodness of me own heart."

Simms shook his head and came over to lean beside him, tipping his hat toward the ground. The rain-water that had gathered around the brim, poured down onto the steel walkway beneath them and Simms just watched it trickling for a time before he spoke again. "You telling me he's gonna be fine?"

Moriarty laughed and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "Oh no, Sheriff. He's not gonna be fine, not by a long shot. Fact is, he'll never walk again…not unless he grows a new pair o'legs anyway. His arms are useless now too. He won't be fightin' or attackin' anybody or…or rapin' any more girls anytime soon."

Simms said nothing and simply stared out across the town. The rain continued to fall but it was drowned out by the sounds of laughter that now seemed to be coming from the direction of the saloon.

Gob and Nova must be lookin' after the customers…he'd almost forgot that the saloon was full.

"Sounds busy." Simms observed, straightening up and shouldering his rifle. "Though you might wanna clean up a little before you go back."

"I figured you might need a hand first." Moriarty offered, gesturing to Jericho's door. "Anyone breakin' the rules here is always kicked outta Megaton, isn't that right?"

"Shelley has to press charges, Moriarty. You know that."

"What about if I give you an entire stack of evidence on all of Jericho's activities, huh?" Moriarty stared at the lawman. "I have enough shit on the man to warrant his removal without you havin' to even bother me girl. It's all on me own terminal. Every deal he ever made, every fight he ever had…you might even want to be speaking to Jenny Stahl about something he tried a while back, though I doubt her brothers will be as keen as meself to see justice done. They'll probably string up the bastard right here."

Simms face darkened as he listened to Moriarty's words. "You mean to tell me he's done this to _another_ woman and I'm only finding out about it now?"

"It never went that far…" Moriarty answered quickly. "With hindsight, I maybe shoulda mentioned it then…"

"You're damn right you should have mentioned it! Maybe if you had, Shelley wouldn't be lying there wondering where the fuck it all went wrong!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Moriarty spat. "Don't you think I have to live with that for the rest of me life? For God's sake Simms, I'm not askin' for your fucking opinion here. I'm giving you what you need to kick that motherfucker outta this town! Now please, please don't be makin' me ask you not t'bother Shelley with all this shit. She's been through enough…she's been through enough…"

The two men considered each other for a while and Moriarty almost jumped when Simms sighed and then gently lay his hand upon his shoulder. "For what it's worth…" He said in that deep baritone voice of his. "I'm sorry for you both."

For the first time since this had all began, Moriarty felt himself slowly beginning to relax. "So do we have a deal?"

"Let's just get this asshole out of here before the saloon closes shall we." Simms frowned and made his way over to Jericho's door. "I'd rather not make this public until we have to."

"Thank you kindly, Sheriff."

Simms stiffened. "I'm not doing it for you."

Moriarty offered him a melancholy smile. "I never thought you were…"

* * *

He was clean at least. After he'd helped Simms drag the semi-conscious and physically incapable Jericho beyond the city gates, Moriarty had gone back to the saloon. He'd entered through the back door and got Gob to bring him some clean clothes while he washed the blood and grime from his hair and body in Nova's little side room.

The ghoul had looked on in horror as the water in the tub turned red, but he had more sense than to ask questions. The whole fucking town would know soon enough anyway, but Moriarty wasn't ready to deal with that just yet. He just wanted to get back to the house and back to Shelley. After asking the ghoul to close up, he'd left the same way he came in, but not before he copied everything he had on Jericho for Simms to justify his decision.

A deal was a deal after all...

Creel had said Shelley was sleeping when he got there. Apparently she'd been out since Church gave her the Med-X and the kid had busied himself trying to clean up so that she wouldn't have to face all that shit in the morning. Moriarty had muttered his thanks and then asked the kid to leave. Creel had looked like he was about to argue and then thought better of the idea. Tonight they may have been on the same side, but it didn't mean they were now pals or anything and the kid still had his eye on Shelley. No man would put up with that shit around his girl…

After he locked the door behind Creel, he climbed the stairs to her room.

Turns out the kid didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

Shelley was quiet sure enough, but she was wide-awake. She lay in her bed with the blanket up around her chin and a distant look in her eyes.

"Shelley…" He whispered softly, almost afraid of her reaction.

"Is he dead?" She asked flatly, her eyes staring at some unseen spot on the ceiling.

"As good as." He replied wishing he could take away her pain. "He'll be dead before mornin' darlin'. I guarantee it."

She nodded once and then slowly turned to face him. "Hold me." she asked with an unspoken plea in her cool grey eyes. "Please Colin, just…hold me."

By way of reply, Moriarty pulled off his boots and climbed atop the bed covers next to her. Though the simple effort of moving obviously gave her some pain, she nestled against him and buried her face against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her bruised shoulders.

He wasn't exactly sure when she finally drifted off to sleep, but he was sure to be there when she woke up.

Whatever happened next…he would always be there.

As long as she wanted him to be.

* * *

The sun rose that morning in a sickly grey sky. A steady heat had already started to build and carrion crows rode the rising thermals in order to seek out fresh, and not so fresh meat to fill their hungry bellies.

As he lay on his back, agonised nerves sending merciless messages of pain into his brain, Jericho heard the raucous calling of the great black birds and watched them fly in lazy circles as they neared his position.

He'd tried to crawl to shelter, but his limbs were broken, twisted and beyond useless. The fucking Irishman knew how to do a good job, he'd give him that. They'd left him here, beyond the great steel wall and well away from the paths of the passing caravans. He expected that kind of shit from Moriarty, but Simms? Then again, the lawman couldn't stand him anymore than the fucking saloon keeper so go figure…

There was a noise to his left. A deep rumbling growl that sent a surge of fear lancing into his bowels. Jericho turned his head and saw a mangy yellow dog approaching, its eyes red and glaring and its jaws hanging open, salivating at the prospect of such an easy meal. He tried to speak, tried to shout at the beast to make it back off and hopefully attract the attention of Stockholm or even Deputy Weld, but his broken teeth and jaw would only allow him to gurgle like a fucking baby and he choked and gasped with the effort of it all.

A second dog approached, sniffing and growling at the first and it was joined by a third and then a fourth. Pretty soon the whole fucking pack showed up and looked at him not with fear or curiosity, but with pure hunger. After a few hesitant snaps, the pack began to tear into his flesh in earnest and Jericho couldn't even scream as they ripped him apart.

When the crows finally landed to scavenge the remains, they were gravely disappointed.

There was barely anything left of the ex-raider save for a tattered leather jacket and few broken bones…

The dogs had taken the rest.

* * *

**I know Jericho is a favourite among a lot of Fallout players and I have thoroughly enjoyed writing dialogue for the guy, but I just couldn't let him live after what he did. **

**To totallove435, I hope this your heart is feeling a little better now ;-) Told you I was working on it…**

**The story is rapidly heading towards its end now and I'd like to say thank you all so much for all the favourites and alerts.**

**A big shout out to Tankgirly, who never fails in her encouragement and to Modest Vanity who gave me such a boost just when I needed it.**

**To those of you who hate Moriarty but have still read the fic, thanks for giving us both a chance. The guy is still a twat, but I hope I've made him a little more human as the story has gone on, but kept that selfishness we all know and love/hate…and don't worry, he isn't about to turn all sunshine and flowers now either!**

**Til next chapter…**

**Gixx**


	11. The First Goodbyes

THE FIRST GOODBYES

The trigger mechanism of the freshly cleaned and newly oiled sniper rifle snapped into place with a satisfying click. Shelley held the weapon to her eye and looked down the scope as she reacquainted herself with its weight in her hands.

Amazing.

No matter how long she left it, the heavily-modded weapon always felt like an extension of her own limbs and sat reassuringly snug against her shoulder. With a contented sigh, she set it down upon the table and then picked up her combat shotgun. The stocky bruiser of a firearm lacked the elegance of the rifle, but was deliciously lethal none the less. Even the super mutants couldn't stand a blast from this baby at close range and it had saved her life more times than she would care to admit.

Yup…that was definitely coming too.

The gleaming magnum with attached scope that she'd picked up on her last trip out would satisfy her small-arms requirement, as would the ten-millimetre SMG for when accuracy needed to be sacrificed for quantity. They were keepers alright. For close encounters of a more personal nature, the fiery shishkebab would be perfect…if only she'd remembered to fill up the goddamn tank…

Fuck…forgot about that part.

Ah well, she was sure that Walter would spare her a can of gasoline to get it started again. The flaming sword didn't really use all that much fuel, not since she tweaked the design, and she'd just have to make sure she picked up a can from the old water-works engineer before she left. Considering all the usable scrap-metal she'd brought him, Walter was bound to oblige.

Seeing all the weapons laid out before her on her workbench, Shelley suddenly felt more ready than ever to get back out into the Wasteland. It had been almost three months since she last ventured out from behind Megaton's thick steel walls. In fact, she hadn't been out too far since that night she'd come home to find Billy Creel bleeding out in the middle of town.

Jesus…seemed like an eternity ago now.

Shelley angrily shrugged away the distracting thoughts and walked over to her locker. The sturdy leather raider armour she favoured hung in readiness just inside the door. There was a strange comfort in touching the tough hide, the reassuring suppleness of the leather moving almost without a sound as she pulled it from the locker. She cast a critical eye over it, checking for damage to the attached steel pauldrons, testing the armoured knee and elbow pads for flexibility and looking for any tears in the leather. She knew it would give her a decent amount of protection against most things, but the real advantage was that it was allowed her the freedom to move stealthily when necessary. She was never going to be a brawler and in a fire-fight she'd be as vulnerable as anyone else, but for sneaking around the DC ruins there was nothing finer and as a sniper who didn't want to be seen, it was perfect.

With a satisfied smile, she laid the armour across her worn couch. After she was done here, it would be ready to be pulled on and lived in for the next…for the next what?

A month, six-months, maybe even a year?

Truth was, Shelley didn't really know. She'd lost so much time already since she'd spoken to Three-Dog and her father could well have moved on from Rivet City by now. Sure, that was the place the egotistical DJ had said he was headed, but that was months ago and Shelly grimaced as she faced the very real possibility that by the time she got there, James might already be long gone and she'd have to start her search from scratch.

Hell, maybe it was karma?

Maybe she'd spent way too much time hanging round Megaton.

Perhaps if she'd just taken Three-Dog's information and struck out east, she would have found him by now and could have been helping him to do whatever it was that he thought was so fucking major that he had to leave her behind in the first place! As pissed as she was at her father, if James had felt like he had to go, she guessed it had to be pretty important. Saying that, if it _was_ that important, then she wanted to help. Her father wasn't one to just do things on a whim. He was a methodologist, always working to a plan and for him to just strike out on his own like that, there had to be a damn good reason. James was nothing if not determined and Shelley liked to think she had inherited more than a little of that part of his nature.

Hopefully she'd inherited enough to be able to help him to do whatever the hell it was he was doing...

At she thought of seeing him again, Shelley felt a little strange. So much had happened since they'd last spoken and she was no longer the naive little girl he left behind in the vault. In a relatively short space of time, she'd gone from being a snot-nosed teenager as green as toxic sludge, to a young woman and an experienced survivor. She'd become a lone wanderer, travelling the Wasteland trying to do her bit to bring some justice to the assholes who thought they could just shit all over the little guy, or in the case of the super mutants, shit out the little guy after they'd eaten him!

Either way, she wondered how he would feel knowing that when it came down to it, she actually took some pride and a certain amount of pleasure in killing those fuckers and being damn good at it too. Would he really understand her? Would he really be able to still see the loving daughter beneath the warrior that had learned how to survive out there?

Not only that, but if he knew just what had happened to her recently, would he still welcome her with open arms…?

Shelley shuddered as her eyes were drawn involuntarily to the spot on the floor where Jericho had held her down and…taken her. Usually she could block most of it from her memory, the nightmare of his leering face only tormenting her during the long hours of night when sleep robbed her of conscious effort. Then she would wake, sweating and sick, shaking as the lingering sensation of his entry rekindled the pain and repellent disgust of her body's forced acceptance of him. More often than not, she would scream, crying out the defiance that had been denied to her during that night of terror, but then reality would stir her into a bout of weeping.

Shit.

She hated herself for feeling like that. Hated herself for letting it affect her so fucking much. In succumbing to recollection, it was like the sick bastard still had a part of her and she resented every minute of it. The Doc had said it would get easier over time, and though she would never be able to forget, she would be able to learn to live with it and with each passing day, the memories would lose their power to hurt her. She hoped he was right, she really did.

Maybe as the memory faded, she would be able to feel Colin's body against hers once more without becoming as rigid as a corpse in the sun…

A frown crept across Shelley's face as she thought of the charming Irishman. Since that night, things hadn't been quite the same between them. It wasn't like Colin had done anything wrong, in fact he had done everything right and that was just it.

It just wasn't him.

It wasn't Colin Moriarty.

Fuck, what the hell was wrong with her? Colin had been caring, considerate, patient and maybe even a little over-protective. He'd stayed near when she'd wanted him to be and kept away when she asked him to. He'd done everything he could to try to understand her and help her get back on her feet. In fact, he'd been so damn careful and guarded, that it made her feel uncomfortable to be around him! She knew he was trying to be gentle with her, but it was almost like he was a different person. In the saloon, Colin was all predatory sexuality, an old lion oozing both charm and menace from every pore. He was still a smooth-talking, hard-drinking sonofabitch, spiced-up with just the right amount of danger and that was part of the reason she had been drawn to him in the first place.

Now…

Now he treated her like she was his problem to solve and it wasn't like a few kind words and a hesitant embrace were going to make things any better.

He'd been acting more like her father than her lover.

Great…as if she didn't have enough psychological fallout to deal with.

In any case, just what was James going to say when he found out that Shelley had been sleeping with a man who was as old as he was? Colin had already said he'd known her father _and_ her mother before they entered the vault and God knows Moriarty was a hard man to forget, usually for all the wrong reasons. There was no way James was ever going to accept that his precious little daughter was now involved with a man who was known the length and breadth of the wasteland as a purveyor of whores, booze and just about anything else that could be bought and sold in this godforsaken place. There certainly weren't going to be any warm wishes and congratulations, that was for sure.

No, he would probably disapprove completely of the relationship…what there was left of it anyhow.

Shelley snorted as she wondered if Colin was even attracted to her anymore. When they were alone, he'd gone out of his way not be overtly sexual around her and she couldn't help but think that maybe he didn't want to be inside her knowing that _someone else_ had been there, even if it was against her will…?

Saying that, would she ever be able to accept any man between her legs again without feeling sick to her stomach? If she couldn't face sleeping with the man she loved, then what chance did she have of ever knowing the pleasure of intimacy ever again? Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was…

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Shelley screamed aloud as the image of Jericho's grinning face flashed through her mind.

"Shelley, you okay?"

The voice startled her and she lunged for her shotgun.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Billy Creel stood in her doorway with a concerned expression on his face and his hands held before him. "I didn't mean to scare you, dolly. I did knock a few times, but you seemed to be a million miles away…"

She felt her shoulders sag as she looked at the handsome young man before her and noticed that recent events seemed to have taken their toll on him too. There was a dark smudge underneath his eye and his smile seemed to have lost a little of its sparkle.

"You didn't scare me, Billy." She sighed, then looked guiltily at the shotgun clutched in her sweating hands. "Well, maybe a little." Setting the weapon back down on the table, she walked into the kitchen and picked up a couple of colas. "Guess I'm still a little jumpy."

"Hey, it's totally understandable." He replied as she passed him one of the cool bottles. "You've been through a lot. I'd still be freaking out if I was you."

"If you were me, maybe you'd have been more careful." Shelley snorted as she swallowed a mouthful of the sugary soft drink. "Fucking asshole should never have gotten in here without me knowing."

"Don't keep doing that, dolly." Billy groaned, shaking his head. "You know you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened. Jeri…that bastard should never have done what he did in the first place. You did nothing wrong, Shelley and you're way too hard on yourself. You don't need to be carrying around the guilt for something that wasn't your fault."

"Now you sound like Colin." Shelley saw Billy's expression change at the mere mention of his name.

"Yeah, well…" He took a drink from his cola and pulled a face. "Maybe we don't agree on a lot, but when it comes to you, I think he actually knows what he's talking about."

"Excuse me?" If Colin had been talking to Billy, then Shelley needed to know about it.

Billy shrugged and feigned nonchalance. "Well, he was just saying that after what happened and all, he thought you were kinda crazy going off into the Wasteland right now. I sorta thought he had a point and I might have told him that I agreed with him, so he…ah…asked me to come over and…"

"He asked you to try and talk me out of it?" Shelley shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Did he really think that if I wasn't going to listen to him, that I would listen to you?"

"Gee, thanks…"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it." Shelley sighed and began stuffing a small arsenal's worth of ammo into a shoulder bag. "I just have to go, Billy. I have to find out what happened to my father and I have to get away from here for a while. Truth is, I never really intended to stay that long to begin with and it was only when I realised I'd fallen in love with Colin…" She grimaced as she saw the look on Billy's face. "Shit…look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking to you about this stuff anyway."

"It's okay." Billy answered with a regretful smile on his face. "I know how you feel about the man. The whole goddamn town knows about you two and if you can't talk to your best friend, who can you talk to? I guess that deep down, I knew that he was the reason you were sticking around. I just wish you were sticking around a little longer is all."

"I can't." Shelley closed the bag and then set it down next to her weapons. "Right now, aside from you, everyone in town either looks at me like they want to throw me a pity party or like I'm the last person in the world that they want to talk to 'cos they don't know what to say to me. Hell, I know a few of them even blame me for what happened, like somehow being involved with Colin was bound to lead to trouble and I should have seen it coming. In my head I know that it's all bullshit, and that those pathetic assholes don't have anything better to do than talk about things they don't fucking have a clue about, but it still hurts Billy. It still hurts and I can't deal with it right now. I need to get back into the wasteland not only to find my father, but maybe even to find myself again. Whatever way you cut it, simple fact is, it's just time I was moving on."

Billy hung his head low, scratching at his eye-patch and taking a few deep breaths. Whatever arguments he had prepared seemed to die on his lips as he met Shelley's determined eyes and he sighed deeply.

"Nothing's going to stop you is it?" He said and Shelley shook her head. "Man, I knew the answer before I even walked in here, but I also knew I had to try. I just hoped you might change your mind, I guess. Just ain't the same around here without you." He flushed a deep red and looked at the floor. "Well, I…uh, guess this is it. There's nothing else I can say 'cept, I don't wanna say goodbye, dolly. I can't...I…"

"Billy…" Shelley moved quickly, closing the gap between them and pulling him into a tight embrace. "You're the best friend I ever had, you know that right? You make sure you take care of yourself and Maggie, you hear me? God, I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Hey none of that." Billy murmured into her hair. "We'll be right here when you get back. Me and Maggie, we'll be waiting for you…as long as it takes."

Shelley swallowed down the sudden rush of overwhelming emotion as Billy kissed her tenderly on the forehead and gave her one final hug. Then with a heavy sigh, he shrugged out of her arms and made his way to the door before pulling it open and breathing in deeply of the cool night air. At the last minute, he looked back and gave her one of the broadest smiles she had ever seen.

"Whatever happens out there, I know you'll find your dad and be home in no time, so I'll just say _see you later_, dolly."

"You can count on it Billy…you can count on it."

When the door finally closed behind him, Shelley felt more alone than she had in weeks. Of everyone in Megaton, saying goodbye to Billy was always going to be one of the hardest things to do.

Even then, it was probably a walk in the park compared to what was going to happen with Colin…

* * *

"Shelley, I thought you weren't coming." Gob pulled back the door to Moriarty's and waved her inside. "I was just about to lock up. It's been a slow night."

"Hey Gob." Shelley smiled at the ghoul and peered around as she stepped into the saloon. "Where's the boss?"

"Oh…he's upstairs." Gob flinched slightly as he spoke and scratched nervously at the back of his hand. "He's been in a real nasty mood today, drinking a whole lot too. Almost took a guy's head off for spilling a beer, then kicked my ass for getting in his way while I was trying to clean up. He's a more than a little volatile right now, I can tell you."

"God, he didn't hurt you did he?" Shelley frowned as she reached out to touch an area of Gob's skin that looked a lot more purple than usual.

"No more than usual." He sighed, shrugging self-consciously away from her touch. "Look, don't worry about it. My ego is past caring and my bruises will heal, but Mr Moriarty…he'll always be an asshole."

"Easy Gob." Nova's sultry voice drifted into the conversation as she walked out of the saloon bathroom. "He may be drunk, but his ears still work just fine and I really don't want to piss him off anymore tonight." The pretty redhead pulled off her leather jacket and sat down on one of the high barstools. "So…you're leaving soon, huh?"

Shelley nodded and sat beside the other woman. "Tomorrow morning. I just thought Colin might have called in to see me but…"

"Oh I see." Nova answered simply. "So if Mohammed won't come to the mountain…?"

"The mountain must come to Mohammed?" Shelley offered her a grudging smile. "I'd like to pretend that I don't give a shit, but you know how it is. Whatever he does, whatever's going on inside that head of his, I still can't help but love the guy."

"You know, a lot of folks round here wondered just how the hell the two of you ever got together." Nova spoke softly, her words directed at Shelley but her green eyes fixed on Gob. "They don't understand that two people so completely different, could ever have feelings for each other."

Shelley gasped as she finally understood the nature of the relationship between the red-headed whore and the ghoulish bartender. "You and Gob…"

"We ah, try to keep it quiet." The ghoul interjected, placing down three glasses and pulling a bottle of pre-war vodka from the shelf behind the bar. "Who we are when we're working in the saloon is one thing, but behind closed doors…"

"Behind closed doors, we're just like anyone else in our situation." Nova smiled and settled her hand atop his. "Sure we have our moments, but whenever we get the chance to be together, we make the most of it...no matter what anyone else might think."

"So you're saying that's what I should be doing? Making the most of Colin while I'm here?" Shelley watched as Gob filled each glass with the clear liquid.

"What I'm saying is that he's hurting, hon." Nova sighed and turned to look at her. "He may be a selfish son-of-a-bitch, totally indifferent to the feelings of everyone else in this town, but when it comes to you, he just doesn't know what to do. You make him _feel_, honey and it's not something he's used to. He still blames himself for what happened to you and that just doesn't sit well with a man like him. He's full of wounded pride and shameful guilt."

"So he should be." Gob muttered under his breath. "If Moriarty hadn't let Jericho get away with so much to start with, then maybe he wouldn't have…"

"Gob…" Nova's voice rose in gentle reproof. "Shelley doesn't need to be hearing that stuff right now."

She wondered what had given it away…the fact she was squirming on the stool like she suddenly needed to be somewhere else or the way she'd taken one of the drinks and swallowed the large measure of vodka in one anxious gulp.

"Oh shit." The ghoul breathed as she set the empty glass back down on the bar. "I'm sorry. I just get so mad thinking about what he did. I never meant to bring it up like that…"

"It's okay." Shelley said quietly, feeling the potent alcohol sliding down her throat. "No point pretending it didn't happen. Besides, I'm over it now."

"Really?" Nova pulled a couple of cigarettes from her hip pocket and flipped one to Gob in exchange for one of the full glasses. "Gob honey, how about you go on to bed. I'll be there in a while. I just want a little girl time with Shelley, you know, before she goes."

"But I…oh, I get it." The ghoul gave Nova a knowing look and then frowned as he fumbled in his pocket. "Shelley, I guess this is goodbye but before you go, there is something…ah, wait…no, here it is!"

Shelley looked on with a puzzled expression on her face as Gob produced a crumpled note.

"It's a letter, from my mom." He nervously licked his dry, cracked lips. "Well, actually Carol's not my mom, but good as. She runs a place outta Underworld where you can rent a bed, get a hot meal and so on. I wrote her to tell her you'd be out that way so you'd know there were a few friendly faces around…even if they are like mine."

Shelley smiled as she studied the neat handwriting and read the open invitation, complete with directions to the Museum of History.

"I just figured if you needed somewhere to stay…" Gob flushed slightly and then reached behind the bar and pulled out a box of .44 calibre ammo. "And as for these, Nova and I clubbed together and bought them as kind of a going away present. We figured they would come in handy."

"I don't know what to say…" Shelley found Gob's milky eyes watching her intently as she stowed the gifts away in the pockets of her jacket. "You're one in a million you know that?"

"Of course. You know how difficult it is to find great bar staff out in the Wasteland?" The ghoul winked mischievously and laughed. "Just one thing though, if you do go see Carol, don't tell her about me. I mean tell her I'm okay and all, but it's just that I never told her about working for Moriarty…she'd only worry some if she knew how he treated me and I don't want that for her."

"I'll tell her that her son is one of the finest men I have ever met." Shelley said softly as she leaned over placed a tender kiss on Gob's ruined cheek. "I'm gonna miss you, Gob."

"I'll miss you too Shelley." The ghoul clasped her hand in farewell before making his way to the small room he occupied at the back of the saloon.

"Kid's got a heart of gold." Nova breathed as she watched him closing the door. "He makes me happy anyway."

"Must be nice having someone like him." Shelley sighed as she found her thoughts drifting toward Colin. "Me…I go for the obnoxious-asshole-type myself."

"That's putting it politely." Nova said with a smile. "But he's the guy you want and I can understand that. See, when I'm with the johns and they're putting their hands on me, it's just the job and ain't nothing but sex for caps. When I'm with Gob, I can feel it in my heart and when he enters me, I know we're making love." Shelley shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the whore spoke. "Is that how it's been with you and Colin lately? I mean, considering what happened and since you're 'over it' and all."

Shelley felt her cheeks beginning to burn as tears threatened the corners of her eyes.

"Hmm. Didn't think so." Nova swallowed a mouthful of her vodka and then took one of Shelley's hands in her own. "Listen honey, what happened to you was just…sick. When a man does something like that to a woman, you feel dirty, wrong, like you'll never get over it and you can't imagine ever wanting anyone again. You're scared, you're afraid and you worry that you'll never really be able to let someone inside your heart and not just inside your body, without breaking down that wall you've built up around yourself. Am I right?"

Shelley looked up surprised to see tears of her own forming in Nova's soulful green eyes.

"Thought so, hon. I know exactly how you're feeling because I've been there."

"Not Jericho…?" The question fell from her nerveless lips as Shelley's stomach knotted itself into a tight ball.

"No…though god knows, he liked it rough." Nova's lip curled as she spoke. "No, it wasn't him. It was a long time ago, just before I worked for Colin. Some guy back home who should've known better. He hurt me bad, just _took_ what I wasn't willing to give…so I paid a bunch of mercs to take his life."

"Paid…that's why you borrowed all the caps?" Shelley watched as Nova tried to swallow down the bitter memories along with the last of her vodka. "You used the caps you borrowed from Colin to pay someone to kill him?"

Nova smiled sadly and ran her hand self-consciously through her hair. "Not my best idea. After that, I ended up selling myself to strangers to repay the debt. Sex became a means to an end. Truth is, I never thought I'd ever know what it was like to actually want to be with someone because you cared…but for all that, the heart is a powerful thing, honey. You meet the right guy and suddenly being with him is just something you want to do for both of you 'cos there ain't nothing finer than lying in the arms of the one you love, knowing that you've shared something special."

Shelley watched as Nova slid off the bar-stool and stubbed out her cigarette in a tin ashtray on one of the tables.

"How long was it before you could…you know."

"Fuck and enjoy it?" Nova smiled and then shook her head. "It's different for every woman who goes through it. There ain't no time limit, honey. Just do what feels right and don't let anyone push into anything you don't want to do."

"Colin has never pushed me." Shelley murmured. "I know he's wanted me, I could see it in his eyes, but he never pushed it."

"Then maybe he's not such an asshole." Nova said softly and then raised her eyebrows. "Well, when it comes to you anyway…"

"I'm just lucky I guess…" Shelley groaned and then threw her arms around the redhead. "Listen…thank you Nova, for being there, for everything."

The whore shivered a little and Shelley felt wetness against her cheek.

"You better take care of yourself out there." Nova whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I'll be looking to see you walking in through the saloon door with that father of yours. Must be a great guy to have raised such a wonderful daughter."

"I'd love to have you meet him." Shelley gasped, fighting to stem the flow of tears that cascaded from her eyes. "You're amazing and I'd be real proud to able introduce you as my friend."

"Well then, you'd better come back soon." Nova began, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Now I'd better go see Gob, else he'll be asleep before I get there and I'm guessing there's someone you need to talk to before you go..."

Shelley glanced toward the staircase leading up to Moriarty's room and nodded.

Nova simply smiled. "Then goodbye, honey…and good luck."

As she watched her leave, Shelley envied the pretty whore the certain comfort she would find in the arms of her ghoulish lover.

Just what comfort she would find in the company of Colin Moriarty, was another matter entirely…


	12. The Lone Wanderer

THE LONE WANDERER

"Colin? Colin, you awake?"

Shelley felt her chest pounding as she gingerly pushed open the cool steel door. It wasn't locked and swung open almost noiselessly, the room beyond bathed in darkness.

"Colin…it's me."

As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she could pick out the shape of his large, comfortable bed. The sheets settled across it were flat and even and from the way they lay, she could tell they had been undisturbed by any human contact. If Colin was indeed in bed, it certainly wasn't his own.

A surge of disappointment brought ridiculous thoughts to her mind as she contemplated the possibility that he was with another woman. There had been visitors to Megaton earlier that day, including a pretty young blonde caravanner who had even tried to flirt with Lucas Simms when she passed by on her way to the saloon. From the way she pawed unsuccessfully at the Sheriff's crotch and wiggled that skinny ass of hers, there was no mistaking the fact she was looking for company of some kind. Maybe Colin had been charming enough to oblige her…

"Damn you." She muttered, fighting both her unwelcome paranoia and growing frustration. "Damn you to hell."

"Sure'n that's a fine way t'be sayin' goodbye to the man y'love."

Shelley froze as her eyes were drawn to the glowing tip of a cigarette to her left. She watched as the tip was touched to a candlewick and weak yellow light lit up the corner of the room.

"Colin…"

Moriarty was slouched in an old armchair with a cigarette in one hand and a half-empty whiskey bottle in the other. He was wearing a pair of worn combat pants and nothing else, the stiff white hairs on his bare chest forming a pattern across his torso and muscular shoulders bunched with tension.

"So, to what do I owe this dubious pleasure?" He slurred, lifting the bottle to his lips. "I thought you'd be long gone by now."

Shelley struggled to keep her composure as she answered him. "You really thought I would just leave without saying goodbye?"

"I didn't think it mattered t'you." He muttered, a cold sneer twisting his face. "Seems t'me, whatever I think doesn't make any fuckin' difference. You'll do what you wanna do and bollocks to the rest of us."

"Colin, that's not fair." She growled, anger adding bitter tones to her words.

"Fair…fair! Let's talk about fair shall we?" Moriarty eased himself out of the chair and rose to his feet. "Fair is when you go out of your way to help a girl out of a tight spot, only to have her throw it all back in your face by uppin' and leavin' just when you think you might be gettin' back on track."

He took an angry step forward, swaying unsteadily.

"Fair is when you think you can finally hold her in your arms without wonderin' if'n it's someone else's face she sees when her eyes are tight shut and her limbs are as stiff as a fuckin' board! Fair is when it stops hurtin' long enough for you to remember why it is you love her so much in the first place and knowin' that despite everythin', you still want to have her with you every day of your miserable fuckin' life 'cos she's the only thing that seems t'matter lately…am I getting' through to you, little girl?"

"Well, pardon me if my rape had such a _bad fucking effect on your life_!" Shelley screamed and reached for a book on the dresser before hurling it at the drunken Irishman causing him to duck. "You're talking to me like this because _you_ feel so bad? Well excuse the fuck outta me! Do you really think I'm doing this on purpose just to hurt you? God, you're a selfish prick Colin Moriarty, do you know that? This may come as some surprise but not everything in my life is about you!"

"Oh that's right…" He sniggered. "I was forgettin' your dear old Da. Gotta go chasin' after him doncha. Must be a family trait…runnin' out on the people you love."

"Fuck you."

"Well, if you're offerin'…no, wait…I wouldn't worry you now, would I?" He grinned as he swayed over to the bed and lay back with a groan. "Look little girl, it's late, you're leavin' and I'm tired. You came to say goodbye, so just get it over with and don't let the door hit you on the way out."

The silence in the air was as heavy as the stench of booze and sweat that seemed to be seeping out of the Irishman's pores. Shelley's eyes narrowed as she watched him just lying there, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath and the lit cigarette hanging limply from between his cruelly smiling lips. She could scarcely believe it. Her heart was tearing in two and her mind was reeling with the vitriolic attack of his words. How could he do this? How could he say those things? After everything they'd been through together and everything they'd meant to each other…

"You still here?" Colin's ice blue eyes opened a fraction. "For fuck's sake lass, say what you have to say and get out. I don't need this shit anymore and I don't want it."

He was lying.

There was a flash of a look, a brief glance that told her that whatever he was saying, his true feelings were not the one's he was expressing right now.

Well, up to a point anyway, but just what was the truth…

Squaring her shoulders, Shelley placed her hands on her hips. "So you want me to go, right?"

"You're catchin' on at last."

"You want me to walk out of that door, into the wasteland and as far away from you as possible."

"Jesus lass…how many times do I have to tell you."

"Tell me as many times as you want, Colin." Shelley said softly, closing his door and moving to the foot of his bed. "Problem is…I don't believe you."

At that, his eyes flicked fully open and he stared at her uncertainly.

"I don't believe you want me to go now any more, than you did when I walked in here."

"Don't be kiddin' yourself, little girl."

"Oh I'm not, old man." Shelley felt a ball of nerves seize hold of her as she slid the jacket from her shoulders. "I'm not kidding myself about this, any more than I'm kidding myself about how I feel about you."

Beneath her jacket, Shelley was wearing a simple white tee and a baggy pair of jeans and there was an awkward silence as she grabbed the hem of her top in both hands and pulled it off over her head. Judging from the audible gasp that came from the direction of the bed, Colin was as surprised as she was that she was doing this, and when she saw his eyes settling on her full, naked breasts, she felt gooseflesh prickling all over her skin.

"Tell me you want me to go." She murmured, slowly unbuckling the belt that held up her jeans. "Tell me you want me to leave you and never come back again."

"Lass, what are you doin'? You don't have to do this…"

"Tell me that you don't want to touch me." She pushed the coarse denim down over her hips, sliding her cotton panties down with it. "Tell me you don't want to spend tonight just being with me, feeling me, making love to me…"

She kicked off her boots, stepped out of her clothes and knelt on the end of his bed, letting the candlelight play over her glistening skin and watching his eyes travelling almost reluctantly to the dark curling hair covering her sex.

With trembling hands, Shelley began to tug on the zipper of Colin's pants. Her heart was pounding as she slid it back along the metal teeth, uncomfortable anxiety and uncertainty warring with the need to be with him one last time as she pulled off the combats, exposing his flaccid member.

"Tell me you don't want this…" Nervously licking her lips, she took him into her mouth and immediately felt his cock beginning to stiffen as she gently sucked on his sensitive flesh.

"Jesus lass, would you just…wait…oh fuck!"

Colin's back arched as she swallowed him down into her throat and he groaned loudly as she rolled her tongue around his glans. Whatever lies spilled from his lips, Colin's body was in no mood for deception and he responded as she knew he would, and calmed her own building nerves by taking comfort in the predictability of his physical reaction.

Suddenly gentle hands cupped her face as he drew her away from her purpose.

"Listen, whatever you thinkin' you have t'do…it's not like that." Colin was panting hard and though his expression had softened, there was a look of confusion on his bearded face. All the harshness and cynicism seemed to have gone and as Nova had said, Shelley could see that he was indeed, hurting.

"This, this anger I have inside me…it's not about this, it's about you, it's about us…" He eased himself up into a sitting position and pushed back on her shoulders so that she sat facing him. For a time, he did nothing but look into her eyes and then his face creased and he looked away as if ashamed.

"You know, I never cared about nothin' or no-one 'till you walked into me life. I prided meself on being a lone wolf, a man with no cares and no worries who could just take what he wanted and fuck the rest." He flicked his spent cigarette butt onto the floor and then looked up at her. "I never expected to love you like I do. I never expected to feel what I feel and at the thought of you goin' away…well fuck me little girl, it hurts so much I can't even think straight! Why d'ya have to leave…I mean, I know about your Da and I know things haven't been easy for you, but goin' off into the wasteland by yourself is just crazy! I can't protect you out there, I can't be there for you…"

"Colin…"

"No, let me finish." All the confidence that came so easily to the Irishman seemed to be melting away. He shook as he spoke, his tobacco stained fingers tracing the curve of her cheek as she listened to his words. "I'm not some hot-shit wasteland warrior type who can just follow you into the sunset. My business is here, my saloon is here, everything I ever wanted is here, even you…and then you tell me that you're goin', just when I was gettin' used to the idea of settlin' down, maybe lettin' Gob look after things while you and I work out just where we're goin' with this. Shelley, you're me girl, me beautiful, wonderful girl and truth is…I don't wanna be without you. I can't be without you…I…I love you. I love you and I want you t'stay and if that makes me sound like a selfish bastard, then fuck it. I'm not about to apologise for wantin' you, not now, not ever."

Shelley felt tears beginning to roll down her cheeks as Colin leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon her trembling lips. She could feel his tension, though whether it was from the unfamiliar emotions that were coursing through his veins, or from the nearness of her naked body, she couldn't be sure.

The only thing she was certain of was that she couldn't ever say goodbye to him.

"Colin…I love you so much…" She breathed heavily as she pushed against his shoulders and eased him back against the sheets.

She let her body fold against his as her tongue began an exploration of his mouth. She moaned softly as she tasted the whiskey and tobacco on his breath, each deep kiss inflaming her senses as she recalled his flavour and each inhalation of his scent burning into her nostrils as she revelled in his essence. His hands reached around to follow the curve of her spine, his touches hesitant at first and then more certain as he pulled her close. She chose not to close her eyes, instead watching his reactions as he took what she had to give and slowly let himself be carried along with the growing passion of her need.

Daring herself to continue, Shelley trailed her hands over his chest, her short nails scratching a pathway through the coarse hair as she sought out his nipples. The gentle pressure of her thumb and forefinger as she tugged the taut flesh was just enough to make him moan with pleasure and he pushed his hips against hers, his engorged member trailing sticky pre-cum across her stomach.

Shelley gasped, suddenly afraid of what she was doing and saw that same look of confused arousal reflected back on the face of the man beneath her. She tried to hide her nervousness quickly, burying her face in his chest and teasing at his nipple with her teeth even as she reached for his length.

"Wait…" He whispered, his voice hoarse with the effort of restraint. "You don't have to do this, if'n you don't want to…_we_ don't have to do this…"

"But I do." She was surprised to realise she actually meant it, no matter how scared she was. "I want to be with you Colin. I want to show you how I feel and I want to feel you inside me as we make love. There's only ever been you and I remember how you made me feel before…well, _before_ and I want that again. I want to know that I can still love you as much physically as I do emotionally…and I want you to know that too. I need this Colin, I need you…"

His lips found hers as he pulled her toward him once more. There was still tenderness in his kisses but the hunger that had so often stoked the flames of her desire, was now back in the urgency with which he kissed her. One hand reached up to loosen her hair while the other slid down her back and cupped the smooth plump flesh of her ass.

Taking a deep breath, Shelley eased herself away from him and leaned back. Her skin was glowing with sweat and her raven hair tumbled across her shoulders and brushed against her ample breasts. With a questioning gaze, Colin began to slowly move his hand toward her sex and she nervously nodded her acceptance. With infinite care, he eased his middle digit through the curling hair covering her pubic mound and then pushed it gently between her lips.

She couldn't help but stiffen at first, nerves and apprehension robbing her of that most intimate of desires, but Colin was patient. He waited, his finger poised at her edge as she forced herself to relax and he only moved again when she gently pushed herself against him. He watched her intently as he probed deeper between her folds and she anxiously chewed her lip, acutely conscious of the fact that he was probably as aware as she was of the difference in the reactions of her body.

"Here…" He breathed as he withdrew from her. "Let me help you."

Shelley felt her heart pounding as Colin lifted his fingers to his lips and slicked them with his saliva. When he returned them to her sex, they felt cool and wet against her heated flesh. His eyes never left her face as he eased a moistened digit either side of her clitoris and a small sigh escaped her lips as he gently rubbed the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing pleasurable tremors to stir deep inside her loins. He coaxed these reactions from her with deliberate slowness, drawing out the feelings that she had feared she might never experience again. She hadn't realised it, but she had begun to gently grind against his hand, rolling her hips as each feeling became more intense and when he finally pinched the tender nub between his fingers, she moaned softly as a wave of sensation pulsed out from her core.

"That's it lass…" He whispered as she shuddered on top of him. "There's my girl…"

Shelley sighed pleasurably as he rolled and rubbed his fingers between her legs. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, there was no tension, no worry and no bitter memories. She even allowed herself to smile when a familiar ache heralded the onset of her own arousal, the creamy richness of her need finally flowing enough to ease his passage as he cautiously pushed a finger into her quivering body.

Once more, she stiffened slightly as he probed inside her, but Colin knew how to read her and soon, another slick digit joined the first as he gently eased the wary tightness from her increasingly moistening core.

"Oh God Colin…"

She saw him smiling just before she closed her eyes and threw back her head, willingly surrendering to the ecstasy of his expertise. Her own hand went to his engorged member and she seized it in her grasp as she began to tease the velvet skin back and forth, milking slick lubrication from his tip. Her thumb worked in lazy circles, smearing the clear liquid around his end as she eased his cock upright and then she sighed as she positioned herself over his throbbing red hood. With a nervous smile, she opened her eyes once more and looked into the startlingly blue irises of the Irishman as she hovered uncertainly above him.

"Are you sure now?" He asked as he withdrew his fingers to hold his solid thickness erect for her.

"I'm sure." She answered and began to push down.

At first, it was as if her body was rejecting the very idea of him and her sex was like a tight circle of muscle, unwilling to yield itself to this new intrusion. She nervously chewed on her lip as she tried to manoeuvre herself onto him and her fingers tangled in the thick hair of his chest as she closed her eyes against the uncomfortable ache that suddenly seemed to well up inside her.

"Shelley." Moriarty murmured. "Shelley lass, look at me." Her eyes flicked open as Colin eased himself up onto one elbow. "Take it easy, little girl. Just take it easy and keep your eyes on me…keep your eyes on me…."

Maybe there was something in the way he said it, or maybe it was the way he was looking at her right then, but she suddenly felt his tip break through the barrier of her defences as she eased herself downward. He felt so big, almost too big and she struggled to take even that much of him as her inner walls gripped his shaft. Sweat beaded on her brow as she willed herself to go lower and it was as if her eyes were locked to his, drawing strength from his gaze. It felt different than before, less _easy_, but the tense feeling seemed to be fading as she drew herself downward, taking him deeper and deeper, inch by inch until she felt herself finally sheath him in her molten centre.

"Oh fuck…Colin…do you feel it too?"

"Christ all fuckin' mighty."

He grunted as he filled her completely, his cock pulsing inside her unbelievably tight wetness as she began to move. She could feel herself gradually loosening as he reached up to cup her breasts, catching her nipples between his fingers. She clasped his hands to hold him in place as she tried a gentle thrust and his shaft pushed against her clitoris just enough to make her shiver with delight.

"Yes…" She breathed as he reacted by pushing up inside her. "Yes, Colin…I love you so much…"

"Shelley, darlin'…"

Moriarty gasped as she began to ride him in earnest and he groaned loudly as her muscular thighs propelled her body up and down his length. Shelley almost wept with joy at the emotions that tore through her as she took him. Pleasure, desire and love all coalesced into something incredible as she began to fuck him harder and faster, losing herself to the rhythm of her passion as she willed him to come to a climax.

"Fuck me…" He grunted through gritted teeth as she reached behind to stroke the sensitive trail of skin between his ass and his balls. She could tell he was fighting his own need to spill inside her and his fingers dug into her thighs as he fought to hold on.

"Come on, old man…" She purred, as she adjusted her pace. "Come for me…let me feel you come…"

Her strokes became faster and more shallow and she pumped his swollen organ with each and every thrust. Panting with the effort of it all, Colin growled like an animal as he began to match her desperate lunges with erratic thrusts of his own. She could feel his cock becoming more rigid by the second, his hood swelling with promise as she slid back and forth, back and forth practically ripping the orgasm from his body. Suddenly he grabbed her, and stabbed upward in one deliciously hard motion as his climax burst forth from his cock and her name tore itself from his lips. He seemed frozen in place, buried up to his balls as each jet of cum spurted inside her, filling her with his release until he fell back to the bed sheets, slack-jawed and sweating as the last pulses of his orgasm robbed the strength from his body.

"Jesus…" He murmured, his eyes heavy and his chest rising and falling like he'd been trying to outrun a deathclaw. "What did you do t'me…?"

Shelley laughed softly and then slid off his gradually softening cock, trailing his cum across them both as she crawled over his body to nestle comfortably against his chest. "I guess that was good for you, huh…old man?"

"It always is, little girl, it always is." He answered gruffly, caressing her face as he looked sleepily into her eyes. "So help me, but I really do love you."

"I know." She answered as she buried her head into his shoulder. "I love you too, Colin. Never forget that."

"Ah lass…" He sighed, yawning as he hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you decided t'stay. I'll make you so happy. You see if'n I don't…"

"I know you will." Shelley felt tears running down her cheeks as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. His breathing was becoming slow and deep and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm as whiskey and contentment lulled him toward sleep.

"Colin…?" He didn't stir. "Colin…you still awake?"

A gentle snore answered her question and Shelley felt a hard lump forming in her throat. Cautiously raising her head, she studied the Irishman's face and memorised every line, every contour and every hair on his head. He looked so peaceful as he slept, more at ease than she had seen him in a long time and for a moment, she was tempted to lay back beside him and forget everything.

But then if she didn't do this now, she'd never leave Megaton again...

* * *

"Shelley! Shelley, where are you?"

Colin's head was pounding as he rushed down the stairs. He'd woken late to find his bed as empty as the bottle beside him and there was no noise from below other than the sound of Gob clanking glasses as he prepared the bar for opening.

Something deep inside told him to get up, to get dressed and to find her. He could recall her lying beside him after they'd made love, but then there was something she'd said, something in the way she'd said it…

_I love you too, Colin. Never forget that_…

"Shelley, darlin'!"

He rushed into the bar, hoping against hope to find her just sat there, waiting for him to take her to breakfast or helping the fucking ghoul with the stock, but it wasn't Shelley who was sat in the saloon. It wasn't even Gob.

"Nova?"

The whore looked up with a sad expression on her face and handed him a folded note. His stomach lurched as he took it with trembling hands.

"Nova, what the fuck is this? You can't be handin' in your notice, 'cos by my reckonin' you still owe me…"

"It's from her, Colin." She said flatly. "She asked me to give it to you this morning."

Moriarty felt his blood run cold as he unfolded the paper and glanced at the tidy black handwriting.

_Colin, please forgive me…_

His vision misted, the sudden unexpected haze obscuring the rest of the words as Moriarty brushed aside Nova's hurried apologies and staggered out of the saloon. He blinked rapidly as he emerged into the early morning sun and spat bitter tasting bile onto the gantry as he slipped the note into his pocket and grabbed the balcony rail to steady himself. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, and reached for a cigarette from the pack tucked into the sleeve of his dirty white t-shirt. It seemed to take an eternity to stop shaking long enough to light the damn thing and Moriarty inhaled deeply, letting the bitter acrid smoke ease the tightness out of his throat and filling his chest with something other than emptiness.

He finished the cigarette slowly, taking some modicum of comfort from the familiar habit and then reached hesitantly for the note. He turned it over in his hands a few times, almost too afraid to reveal the text contained within, but then nothing rattled Colin Moriarty…nothing at all.

When he'd finally convinced himself that was true, Colin began reading.

_Colin, please forgive me for leaving you like this. _

_I love you so much, and this is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I knew that if I stayed just one minute longer, then I'd never be able to leave you again. _

_It would have been so easy just to stay, to believe in the idea that I could be content to be beside you every day and every night with you, running the saloon and me working for the town militia and both of us making love when we wanted. Hell, who knows, what kind of a future we could have together? Set up a new business or a new home, maybe even think about a family…_

_But you know I'd be kidding myself if I thought I could do that and forget everything else, because I'd always wonder about James. He's my dad Colin, and I have to find him. He wouldn't have left the vault for nothing and I just have this feeling that he's in trouble and he needs my help. I know it's difficult for you to understand right now and I didn't make this decision lightly, but I have to do this. I have to go find him._

_Another part of me needs to go in order to find myself again. After what happened with Jericho, I feel like I lost something that I just can't find by staying here. He took so much from me Colin, my fire, my dignity, my independence and even my dog. I need to get some of those things back for my own sake, and the only place I know I can do that is in the wasteland. It's the only place I can heal and make myself whole again. _

_No one knows what happened to me there and to folks who have heard of me, I'm just the Ranger from the vault who helps the helpless and all that shit. Once I find what I'm looking for, I can come back to you whole and be the woman that you love and the woman you deserve, and I will come back Colin Moriarty…I swear to you, I will come back._

_Please believe me when I say that I love you with all my heart and please forgive me for running out on you like this, but I can't say goodbye to you, old man, I just can't._

_I have so many reasons to leave Megaton, but you are the only reason I have for staying._

_Look for me on the horizon Colin. I won't be gone long._

_After all, you have my heart._

_Your little girl, Shelley._

Colin Moriarty swallowed hard and stared blankly at the salty tears that dripped onto his trembling hands.

When Nova came out to ask if he was okay, he blamed it on the dry air.

It was surely a pathetic excuse, as transparent as the lies he'd told when he'd said he wanted Shelley to leave, but Nova was a whore and discretion was one of her many talents. She didn't even attempt to question it and simply left him there to watch the inhabitants of Megaton beginning their daily routines.

Funny…as he watched them going about their business, nothing seemed to have changed and yet everything was different.

There was Simms, making his rounds to see that the town was secure, 'cept if there was any trouble, they were down a gun as Shelley wasn't here. The Creel kid was headed toward the Brass Lantern for his morning breakfast, cept he'd be eating it alone as Shelley wasn't here. Moira Brown was opening her store and no doubt looking for someone to do some more research on that fucking book of hers, but of course no one would 'cept for Shelley…and she wasn't here.

Moriarty shivered despite the growing heat of the day.

The lass he wanted more than anything else in the world, the lass who'd shared his bed only just the night before, the lass he loved more than he'd ever thought possible…wasn't here.

The little girl had disappeared back into the wasteland.

Shelley was gone.

* * *

_**One year later…**_

"_Yee-haw…you're listening to Three-Dog on the DC Wasteland's favourite station, Galaxy News Radio and I'm coming to you live with a special report! _

_Ding, dong, the sanctimonious, self-righteous, self-proclaimed Presidential asshole is dead! The Enclave's not-so-secret base way up in the northwest just went kablooey and I have reports…damn good ones…that Eden didn't make it out alive! _

_Sure enough, the Enclave radio station is officially offline. Hell, check for yourself if you don't believe me and if that weren't good enough news, our old friend from Vault 101 made it out of there in one piece!_

_Seems our brave young gal and her tall ghoul pal from Underworld were last seen headed toward the Jefferson Memorial with enough guys and gals from the Brotherhood of Steel to blow the remaining Enclave to Hell and back! Well keep fighting the good fight, kid! We're with you all the way! _

_Oh...just one thing before I go. Seems our last, best hope for humanity ain't all about the job, glorious though it is, 'cos before she took off for the Citadel, she took time to send a message to yours truly asking me to play a little something for a certain someone out there in Megaton!_

_Now who am I to refuse such a humble request?_

_So, for that seriously lucky guy, and you know who you are right, here's a real special song from a real special gal who asked me to tell you to 'keep your eyes on the horizon...'_

_When Irish eyes are smiling, _

_Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring. _

_In the lilt of Irish laughter _

_You can hear the angels sing. _

_When Irish hearts are happy, _

_All the world seems bright and gay. _

_And when Irish eyes are smiling, _

_Sure, they steal your heart away…"_

THE END.

* * *

…**of 'Megaton' anyway.**

**I enjoyed writing this fic more than any other so far and I have loved writing dialogue for Colin Moriarty. The guy is such a bastard and yet just like Shelley, I can't help but fall for his Irish charms….**

**Anyway, it seems the old man has talked his way into a second outing with a little help from Dolly Cola, who had an idea halfway through this story about where she thought it was going, and instead gave me the inspiration for the sequel. Thanks hon! **

**Another massive thank you goes to Modest Vanity! Your kind words and encouragement have been a real boost to my muse and I hope you can forgive me for killing Jericho…(I kind of miss him too, if I'm honest but he deserved it!)**

**As for Tankgirly, Banger1897, scooter13 and Teufelszeug, you guys were there from the start and believe me, I appreciate it more than I can say. Thanks for all the PM's and crits guys!**

**To everyone else who so kindly took the time to read/review/favourite/alert…thank you so much for stopping by and reading my fic and for giving Moriarty a chance! **

**He's still an asshole, but I hope I made him a sexy, intriguing asshole at least and that you had some fun along the way! **

**In the best 'James Bond' tradition, I can say that the LW will return in RETURN TO MEGATON but just what's going to happen when she meets up with Moriarty again is anybody's guess, and just why is the sinister Mr Burke hanging round the saloon lately…?**

**Should be fun finding out, I hope! **

**Thanks again guys and peace out!**

**Gixx xXx**


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